The La-Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Health Directorate has organized a one day annual health review forum at the Madina Hopeline Institute for hospitals and polyclinics in the municipality.

The La-Nkwantang-Madina Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Franklin Anku, said health was one of the critical areas no nation could take for granted and appealed to the participants to examine issues critically.

He said he was confident the Directorate would overcome its challenges and continue to render excellent services to clients.
The Municipal Director of Health, Madam Priscilla Anima Siaw, said challenges that faced the Directorate included lack of vehicles, irregular release of funds, ay in National Health Insurance Scheme reimbursement and staff attrition.

She said the doctor/patient ratio was 1:15,595, midwife/patient ratio was 1:489 and medical assistants/patient ratio 1:17,753.

Mrs Siaw said malaria continued to be the first out of the top 10 in Out-Patient Department cases in the municipality and gave the statistics of the maternal mortality ratio which increased from 1.0/1000,00LB in 2012 to 1.2/100,000 per LB in 2013.

She said antenatal coverage increased from167.1% in 2012 to 172.4% in 2013. The skilled delivery rate increased from 103.4.0% in 2012 to 116.5% in 2013. Immunization coverage exceeded the expected target of 80%, showing a higher accessibility to immunization services, adding that there were no cholera and guinea worm cases detected last year.

Mad Siaw said plans were underway to establish a blood bank for the Municipality to deal with challenges of maternal mortality and that the Pentecost Hospital in Madina was at the verge of completing a well equipped blood bank as well as a radiology unit.

She said here would be a collaborative work between Sanford World Clinic and the Focus Orthopaedic Hospital at Pantang and was grateful for Focus Orthopaedic Hospital donating 15 beds to the Municipal Health Directorate.

The forum was chaired by Nii Afutu Brimpong III, the Danfa Chief.

GNA