The Kaneshie Polyclinic has introduced a policy to allow children of five years and below to jump any queue to access healthcare services.
The move is aimed at ensuring the speedy treatment of children to prevent complications.
In line with the move, the management of the polyclinic has posted notices at the facility for the attention of staff and patients.
The Medical Director of the polyclinic, Dr Patrick Amo-Mensah, told the Junior Graphic that all staff, including departmental and unit heads, had been notified and educated about the decision of management.
‘’Children under five are not supposed to be in any queue at the polyclinic because they are vulnerable,” he said.
Under the policy, he said, no child under five was supposed to queue even at the pharmacy and laboratory “because everywhere you go in the hospital children under five cases are regarded as emergency”.
“The notice you have seen on my door that children under five can jump any queue is in line with the Millennium Development Goal Four to reduce under five mortalities by two-thirds.
We want to ensure that children under five survive,” he said.
Dr Amo-Mensah said for instance that if a child had a high temperature and was not treated on time that child could have a convulsion which could damage the brain permanently.
In line with the policy, he said children had been allocated a special desk where their temperature and weight could be checked.
Malaria, eye infections, respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea, he said, were some of the problems children who reported to the facility had, adding that severe malaria could cause the sugar level of a child to go low.
Meanwhile, some visitors to the polyclinic have welcomed the initiative, adding that if other health facilities in the country would adopt a similar policy, it would go a long way to boost children’s health care.
Madam Ama Serwaa, a patient, said the initiative should have been adopted long ago.
That, she said, would have solved a lot of problems before they became complicated.
Madam Joyce Mensah, a parent said children all over the country needed to have unhindered access to healthcare services.
The policy, she said, should be implemented in all health facilities in the country.
Amos Tawiah, another patient, commended the management of the polyclinic for introducing the policy. He said it should have been expanded to cover children below 15 years.
