The Upper East Regional Health Directorate and Management of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital will from Tuesday, 31st February 2017, paste names of health personnel and their contacts at the Out-Patients Department of the hospital to improve quality service delivery.
According to Upper East Regional Health Director of Health Services, Dr. Kofi Issah, the decision was borne out of public outcry of poor health care delivery by health personnel on nights and weekends duties.
Residents within the Bolgatanga Municipality, lashed out at the management of the Upper East Regional Hospital over delays in the provision of health care at the facility. They claimed staff on the night and weekend shift were the worst culprits.
According to the residents, health personnel at the Out-Patients Department (OPD), Laboratory, Pharmacy and the consulting rooms, also exhibited similar conduct like their colleagues who worked during the night and weekend shifts.
“I got to the hospital in the night and I was told that, the Doctor on duty had gone home because there was no work. We had to wait till the next day and even the doctor for the morning also came late” One resident lamented.
Another resident said “I spent 3 hours at the pharmacy for drugs for a patient that I brought to the hospital, and just at the time I was served, the nurses came to tell me my patient was dead.”
But Speaking to Citi News, Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Issah, said the situation has compelled the management of the hospital to make public, the names of health personnel and their contacts including their respective shifts effective Tuesday 31st January in a bid to curb the issue.
“The most common are when people get to the hospital in the evenings where they have to wait for long periods to be able to be seen by health personnel and the frustrations of the patients. What I have ordered the hospital to do is to get the names of all those who are on duty, and their contacts pasted at the OPD, so that when patients get into the hospital and the fellow is not around, then the public can identify the health worker who delayed health care in order that the appropriate sanctions can be taken against the person.”
“…Because if the public complain and we don’t have specifically who was expected to be on duty, at what time and what service the person was to deliver, we will find it difficult to normally answer to some of the public demands to be able to improve care.”
He urged patients not to quarrel and fight health staff, but report any concern to the In-charge of the various units, and when they are unable to resolve it, it will then be forwarded to the health directorate for resolution.
Dr. Issah admonished health personnel to work at reducing the time periods it takes patients to receive care especially at the Records, OPD, Laboratory, Pharmacy and in the Consulting rooms, admitting that the current situation is not the best.
He added that, due to inadequate doctors at the hospital, the hospital can only assign one doctor for night duty.
Dr. Issah advised management and staff of the hospital to have regular radio discussions to educate the public and address any emerging concerns.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
