ONLY TWO NEW DOCTORS ACCEPTED POSTING...To Upper West Region in 2008 (page 20)

ONLY two out of the nine medical doctors posted to the Upper West Region last year reported for duty.
For this reason, only six doctors are manning all the health facilities in the nine districts and the regional hospital.
The Wa Regional Hospital, which should have 12 medical doctors, currently has only one with the medical director, Dr K. Abebrese, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, doubling as a general medical practitioner.
Tumu, Nandom, Jirapa and the Nadowli District hospitals have a single doctor each, while the Sissala West, Wa East and Wa West District hospitals have none at all.
The only doctor serving the Lawra District Hospital has left for further studies.
On specialist doctors, it is only the Wa Regional Hospital which has a gynaecologist, ENT specialist and an ophthalmologist.
Consequently, the “faithful six” doctors have to work extra hard to attend to patients.
The doctor-patient ratio in the region presently is estimated at 1:91,083.
According to the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah, among reasons given by those doctors who refused posting to the region were, the distance from Accra and from the national capital to Wa and lack of social amenities, career opportunities and earning of extra income.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Wa, he explained for instance that, “The opportunity to develop one’s professional career here is limited. There are a few specialists around to teach young doctors, while information on training opportunities delays in reaching this region and usually arrive late.”
Dr Nang-Beifubah said in order to arrest the situation, a number of strategies had been put in place.
They include the provision of free, decent and well-furnished accommodation with satellite television, car, utility services and specialists outreach training.
Dr Nang-Beifubah stated that effective June, this year, the GHS would only advertise for vacancies for newly trained doctors for the three northern regions.
He suggested that the district assemblies in the region must sponsor medical students while doctors at post were given incentives.
Dr Nang-Beifubah disabused the minds of newly trained doctors that the region was not as busy as others.
“We do not have the worse indicators as compared to other areas. The region is not as bad as people think,” he added.
Touching on the issue of excessive alcohol intake among people in the region, Dr Nang-Beifubah said two foreign researchers were currently delving into it.
He admitted that the issue was both a social and medical one, which required a through examination.
The regional director commended the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, for his support to the regional health directorate and his efforts in attracting doctors to the region.