More doctors needed in Upper West Region
The Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Abudulai A. Forgor, has expressed concern over the shortage of medical doctors in the region, saying the situation required urgent attention and correction.
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Dr Forgor, who took over from Dr Alexis Nang-Beifubah about two weeks ago, said his priority was to attract and motivate more doctors to meet the challenges of health care in the region.
At an encounter with the media in Wa, he stressed that six doctors for the whole region was woefully inadequate to cater for the health needs of the people.
Currently, just five of the region’s 11 districts have doctors, while some districts have just clinics or health posts.
Nandom, for instance, has no doctor, in spite of the fact that the district boasts a decent hospital.
Dr Forgor said he was working with his team and the national directorate of the Ghana Health Service to adopt measures and incentives to attract doctors and other technical staff to the region.
He described the situation as an emergency that must be tackled on all fronts and from all sectors.
According to him, only two out of 10 medical doctors posted to the region about six months ago reported for duty, while a number of Cuban doctors who have supported through voluntary services have recently returned to their country.
“We need to work together to attract the critical technical staff we require to the region to be able to confront the challenges we face in terms of healthcare delivery,” he said.
