The Bolgatanga Municipality is grappling with a critical shortage of medical doctors, with only one physician serving a population of 153,588, according to Municipal Health Director Alhassan Lawal.
Speaking to journalists after the Directorate’s 2025 Annual Performance Review Meeting, Mr. Lawal described the situation as worrying, noting that the municipality does not have a designated municipal hospital.
“As a municipality, when you take out the regional hospital, which is not under our direct administration, we are left with only one doctor,” he said. “This one doctor is attending to a population of 153,588 people.”
He explained that the Bolgatanga Health Centre, popularly known as Aningazanga, is currently being used as the municipal hospital because it is the only facility with a doctor.
The doctor, he added, provides a full range of services, including surgeries, despite the poor condition of the facility.
“He even performs surgeries there. However, if you look at the state of the facility, it does not fit the status of a hospital or a place where a doctor should operate,” Mr. Lawal said. “The infrastructure is quite poor, the surroundings are bad — it is an eyesore.”
To address the challenge, the Directorate has begun renovation works on an uncompleted block at the facility that has stalled for nearly a decade. Mr. Mohammed said management decided to prioritize the structure after he assumed office in September last year.
“When I visited the facility, I noticed the uncompleted structure, which had been abandoned for almost 10 years. We felt that was the best place to start,” he explained. “Very soon, the block will be completed, and we will move the OPD there so that we can work on the existing structures.”
He added that the renovated block will house a laboratory, pharmacy and a detention room, and will be upgraded to meet modern standards.
“We are not compromising on quality. When we finish, it will be a modern and comfortable facility that can match private health facilities,” he assured.
Mr. Lawal appealed to benevolent individuals and organizations within and outside the municipality to support the facelift project, noting that although some have responded, more assistance is needed. The Directorate is also leveraging its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to support the renovation.
The 2025 Annual Performance Review Meeting brought together key stakeholders in the health sector, including the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Police Service, Ambulance Service, civil society organizations and traditional leaders, to assess the municipality’s health outcomes and chart a path forward.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Seidu Mutawakil | Bolgatanga
