KWABRE EAST HEALTH DIRECTORATE HOLDS A DAY MID-YEAR REVIEW.

The Health Directorate of Kwabre East Municipal has on Thursday, 5^th August, 2021 organized a program to present on the Directorate’s Mid-year Review at the Kwabre East Municipal Assembly’s hall, Mamponteng.

MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Kwabre East, Hon. Nana Osei Asibey Bonsu who doubled as the Chairman of the program during the presentation expressed his gratitude and commended the Municipal Health Directorate for a good work done over the years he was posted to the Municipal and his initiatives he has brought out especially with the organization of the Mid-year Review of the Directorate every year.

Hon. Osei Asibey used the opportunity to urge the organizers of the program to sit down and analyze the short falls of things that happens during presentations like this so that they find solutions to them and avoid reoccurrence, especially with regards to the time for the program. He said, the mid-year review presentation is very important so all participants should fully participate in it and also ask any question bothering them with regards to the presentation so that it will help them in their field of work.

Hon. Osei Asibey further urged the nurses and doctors to try their possible best to create a good relationship with the patients who visit the health centers for health care.  Hon. Nana Osei Asibey Bonsu concluded by welcoming all the participants to the presentation.

MUNICIPAL HEALTH DIRECTOR

Dr. Samuel Osei Somuah, the Health Director of Kwabre East Municipal during his presentation explained that, the mission of the health directorate is to provide quality, affordable and accessible health care to the inhabitants of Kwabre Municipal that is delivered by a highly motivational health staff, in collaboration with all other Key Stakeholders. He said, the core operating values of the directorate are; professionalism, teamwork, people centeredness, discipline, innovation and excellence and integrity

Dr. Somuah explained that, the major concerns of the Directorate at the beginning of the year are; irregular monitoring and Supervision, low Tuberculosis (TB) cases detection rate, inadequate and irregular release of funds, low family planning acceptors rate, and poor data quality at the collection point and data capture of which it has been solved with the health of some professionals. He explained that, with support of the of the Assembly, the Directorate has been able to acquire four (4) CHPS Compound in the Municipality at Kasaam, Truba, Bosore and an ongoing one at Bampenase. Dr. Somuah said, per their research and analysis, about 40% of inhabitants of Kwabre who die do not visit health centres for health care when they are not feeling well but rather go to religious places to seek for health care.

Dr. Somuah explained that, COVID-19 pandemic has really affected the morbidity and mortality rate nationwide of which Kwabre East Municipal was not left out. He said, during the pandemic, some nurses were assigned to some Senior High Schools in Municipal to support them in health care but they did not go. He said death rate as a result of COVID-19 across the country is mostly the youngsters between the ages of 20 to 35 years. He said, teenage pregnancy is also rising across the country and research has proven that, adolescent girls in the Junior High schools are victims of teenage pregnancy because they lack enough knowledge about reproductive health and abstinence.

Dr. Somuah explained that, the financial statement of the Health Directorate is not very good even though they receive support from the health centres in the Municipality. He used the opportunity to commend the community nurses for the marvelous work they are doing in the various communities. He urged participants to be very careful in their daily routine because Tuberculosis (T.B) is on the rise just as Covid-19 cases is rising.

Dr. Samuel Osei Somuah concluded by emphasizing that, congestion on roads is also a public health problem which needs to be handled. He thanked members present for honoring their invitation, their participation and attention. He further urged the doctors and nurses to find a local solution to COVID-19.

MUNICIPAL HEALTH DIRECTORATE ACCOUNTANT.

Mr. Daniel Anning, the Accountant of the Health Directorate of Kwabre East Municipal during the presentation explained the how the finances of the directorate are spent. He said the money they get from the various health centres in Municipality are used to buy fuel for the Directorate’s cars, they buy stationaries for the directorate and also they use some for validation.

Some of the participants asked questions like; why the various departmental heads are no longer being invited to the mid-year review, if there are any measure put in place to organize free health screening for staff of the Assembly even if it will be at a cost, why nurses have not been assigned to some of the Senior High Schools in the Municipality, issues of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) used at district hospitals and NHIA permit for Kasaam CHPS compound and other health issues and they were all addressed to by the Municipal Health Director and other stakeholders.  

Hon. Nana Osei Asibey Bonsu also addressed some of the issues and concerns raised by participants like electricity at some of the Health Centres in the Municipality, and road congestions from Ahwiaa to Fawoade road. He used the opportunity to urge the Health Directorate to frequently provide their monthly and quarterly reports on time to the Assembly so that, their concerns and challenges can be forwarded to the subcommittee members for deliberations and how best they can be solved.

CONCLUSION

The Mid-year Review presentation by the Kwabre East Health Directorate was very successful with all the COVID-19 protocols strictly adhered to.

In attendance were Mr. Anderson, Municipal Cultural Officer, Mrs. Leticia Serwaa Bonsu, Nurse Manager of Mamponteng Polyclinic, Mrs. Freda Kwaa Akrasi, Nutrition Officer in Charge of Malaria, Mrs. Justina Ampah, Municipal Nutrition Officer and CHPS Coordinator, Mr. Simon Asare Mireku, Mr. Evans Boakye-Yiadom, Senior Public Health Officer and other stakeholders.