The Northern Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has expressed concern over increasing difficulties in deploying health professionals to rural communities, attributing the challenge to poor road networks, inadequate accommodation and the lack of basic social amenities in many underserved areas.
The Directorate said the situation has resulted in many health workers declining postings to remote communities, creating staffing gaps that threaten access to quality healthcare in parts of the region.
Speaking at the conference of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG) in Tamale, the Medical Superintendent of the Northern Regional Hospital, Dr Richard Anthony, delivered the address on behalf of the Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Chrysantus Kubio.
Dr Kubio noted that although the Ghana Health Service continued to deploy health personnel to facilities across the region, retaining professionals in deprived communities remained a major challenge because many of the areas lacked conditions that would encourage them to accept and remain at their duty posts.
He explained that inadequate staff accommodation, poor transportation infrastructure and the absence of essential social amenities continue to discourage many professionals from accepting postings to rural communities, thereby affecting the equitable distribution of health personnel.
The Regional Director, therefore, appealed to traditional authorities, religious leaders and political office holders to support efforts aimed at making rural communities more attractive to health workers.
He said local stakeholders had an important role to play in creating a conducive environment for health professionals by helping to improve living conditions and supporting initiatives that would make rural postings more appealing.
Dr Kubio stressed that strengthening healthcare delivery in deprived communities required a collective effort, adding that improving the welfare of health workers posted to such areas would contribute significantly to addressing disparities in healthcare access across the region.
He said collaboration between communities, local authorities and government would be critical in ensuring that residents in rural areas had access to qualified health professionals and quality healthcare services.
The appeal comes as the Ghana Health Service continues efforts to improve healthcare delivery nationwide, particularly in hard-to-reach communities where shortages of skilled health personnel remain a persistent challenge. Myjoyonline
