Out of the about 77,000 Ghana Health Service staff working across Ghana, less than 5 per cent are aware of the Health Services Workers Code of Ethics and what it enjoins them as health professionals to do.
According to the Governing Council of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the lack of knowledge about health ethics could be identified as the single biggest factor leading to the exhibition of what could be considered as inappropriate behaviour by some health professionals across the country.
To address this situation, the Ghana Health Service has begun investing funds in making available both soft copies and hard copies of the Code of Ethics to Health directorates for onward distribution to staff at the various health facilities.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the GHS, Dr Yao Yeboah made this known when he visited the office of the Upper West Regional Minister in Wa.
“When the [Governing] Council went to all the regions, we realised that out of about 77,000 workers we have in Ghana, only less than 5 per cent know the ethics of the game,” Dr Yeboah disclosed.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the GHS, Dr. Yao Yeboah, the Acting Director-General of the GHS Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Osei Kufuor Afreh and other staff of the GHS visited the Upper West Regional Minister to officially receive a finished report on the death a 2-year old boy.
The meeting was also for the team to interact with the RCC on how to improve health services in the region including the official opening of the Regional Hospital to the public.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the GHS, Dr. Yao Yeboah said the Service has adopted new measures of ensuring that staff accept posting to areas in the country that are considered deprived.
The Chairman mentioned cash incentives, befitting accommodation, quicker transfers and support for professional development as some measures that have been put in place to ensure that staff volunteer to work and stay in deprived areas.
On the opening of the recently commissioned Upper West Regional Hospital, Dr Yeboah recalled the visit of the Governing council to the facility early last year when it was still under construction. He said it is appropriate that the facility would be opened after months of preparation adding that “in spite of the fact that we might not have gotten everything that it takes. The most important thing is the human factor,” he stressed.
“Once we have the competent skilled staff, who are ready to serve the people in the Upper West Region, some basic equipment with good staff we can kick start the process of providing healthcare,” Dr. Yeboah continued.
The Chairman of the GHS Governing Council stated that now the Wa Municipal Hospital is going to be resourced to better handle mental health care to serve the region and other parts of Northern Ghana.
He said to remove the stigma that is associated with mental health, there is going to be a proper integration of Mental Healthcare and General healthcare at the Wa Municipal Hospital to ensure that patients are able to access healthcare without the attached stigma.
The Ag. Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye assured the Upper West Regional Minister that the Service is committed to ensuring that health services in the Upper West Region are continually improved.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih shared his concerns about the Doctor-patient ratio in the region saying that, “Medical Officers are in short supply in the region.
“Of the number we have in the region, about 50 percent of the number is in school.”
“With regard to the New Regional Hospital, we need doctors. I am told that even 30 doctors are not going to be enough for that facility but as of now, the number that have been posted there is not up to 10,” the Minister disclosed.
As part of measures to encourage more medical officers to the Upper West Region while retaining the ones already here, Dr Bin Salih mentioned that he is in talks with the 11 Municipal and District Chief Executives to ensure that befitting accommodation and cash incentives are given to newly posted doctors.
Dr. Bin Salih reminded the team that visited him of the importance of the investigative report on the death of the 2-year old boy who was bitten by a snake in Boli to the region. He encouraged the Service to consider implementing the recommendations of the committee that worked on the report before the end of this month.
Story by Mark Smith.
