The Upper West Regional Hospital is still yet to receive its seed money a year and half after the facility opened for work.
The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Robert Amesiya has indicated the seed money is critical to the day-to-day running of the facility and called on the Ministry of Health to as a matter of urgency release funds to help management run the Hospital.
Speaking to A1 Radio in Wa, Dr. Amesiya commended the Upper West Regional Parliamentary Caucus for making a statement on the Floor of Parliament with regard to the seed money.
He lamented that, “For the seed money it has not yet come. Recently, the Upper West Regional Parliamentary Caucus made a statement in Parliament so I know the heat is catching up. I am sure that if the Ministry of Health thinks that the people of the Upper West Region will forget about us [the Upper West Regional Hospital] not receiving our seed money, they [Ministry of Health] will know it is not possible. It [seed money] has delayed but if it still comes, it is something that will help us address some of the challenges that we have”.
Meanwhile, three new Specialist Doctors have been recruited at the Upper West Regional Hospital raising the overall number of Medical Doctors at the facility from 20 early this year to 23. The Doctors are specialized in the area of Internal Medicine, General Surgery and Paediatrics.
Dr Amesiya mentioned that the hospital has also received Medical Officers and Housemen of different year groupings as part of its plan to expand health services to people in the region. The Hospital has increased its staff strength from 520 early this year to 739. Speaking to A1 Radio at Wa, the Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital, Dr Amesiya observed the overall staff strength is still inadequate to meet the Regional Hospital Standard.
The Upper West Regional Hospital was commissioned by the President in August 2019. The hospital was not however opened to the public until 9th January, 2020. The hospital begun with an initial total staff strength of 214. The hospital had only four doctors. The Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital indicated that NHIS had reimbursed the facility for the entire 2020 period along with January 2021. Dr. Amesiya expressed hope that the other outstanding months will be paid so that the facility can continue to operate smoothly.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
