Swedru Government Hospital cries for more staff
Authorities of the Swedru Government Hospital have appealed to the Ministry of Health to post more health workers to the facility to enhance healthcare delivery at the health facility.
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According to them, due to the location of the facility, there was always pressure on the few medical staff members there in their quest to provide quality healthcare services to patients.
They noted that the hospital received patients from health facilities in all the adjoining districts, which is a daunting task for the staff who had to work for long hours to provide medical care to patients.
Medical Superintendent
The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Dzodzegbe Apetorgbor, made the appeal when he addressed the annual review of the hospital.
The event was used to honour some retirees of the hospital for their immeasurable contributions towards healthcare delivery during their active working years.
Justifying the need for more workers, he said that the hospital had only three medical doctors instead of five. It also had only 21 midwives instead of 30, as well as only two physician assistants instead of four.
He stressed that the shortfall in staff numbers had put undue pressure on the workers, compelling them to work for long hours, which may affect quality healthcare delivery at the hospital.
He further appealed to the government to consider its decision to make health institutions pay their own utility bills, adding, “The services provided by health institutions are social services and not commercial.’’
He commended the Central Regional Development Commission (CEDECOM) for the construction of the new accident and emergency centre for the hospital but reminded them to expedite work on the completion of the final phase of the project.
Cholera outbreak
The medical superintendent expressed worry over the cholera outbreak cases that were recorded at the facility and attributed them to the poor sanitation in the area.
He stated that to forestall future occurrences of the disease, Ghanaians must embrace and fully participate in the National Sanitation Day clean-up exercises to rid the country of filth, as well as inculcate in people the habit of keeping their surroundings clean.
He mentioned that despite the numerous challenges militating against the operations of the hospital, the facility chalked up a lot of successes during the year under review.
Giving further details, he mentioned that the Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance reduced from 66,664 in 2013 to 54,928 in 2014 while deliveries also increased from 4,003 in 2013 to 4,339 in the year under review.
He stressed that maternal mortality also reduced from eight in 2013 to five in 2014.
He commended the staff and management of the hospital for their dedication and commitment towards the enviable growth of the hospital in the Central Region.