Dr. Alexis Nang-Beifubah, Upper West Regional Director of Health Service, has expressed concern about staff attitude to work, saying the huge increase in numbers of frontline staff had not translated into corresponding improvements in health outcome in the communities.
He said it had come to the notice of the Regional Directorate that some staff roam freely, others go to work late and close early while it was common to see nurses roaming in the streets with the pretext of taking kids to school, going to the banks or carrying out some other personal activities.
He said others also go to work only to sit and gossip and idle resulting in resources being wasted without any corresponding outcomes.
Dr. Nang-Beifubah has therefore directed that henceforth, all district health services as well as all health facilities should use the log book system to check lateness and malingering at work places and demanding 24-hour services at all facilities.
The log book should also be used to assign staff to trace reported cases in the communities, especially those relating to pregnant women and children.
Dr. Nang-Beifubah raised the concern at the 2010 annual performance review of the Wa Municipal Health Directorate in Wa on Wednesday.
He tasked all unit heads to strengthen resource management at all levels, pointing out that any loss of any Ghana Health Service property when traceable to negligence the full cost would be surcharged to person or community responsible.
On staff development plans, Dr. Nang-Beifubah said management had noted with concern that in the Ghana Health Service, especially in the nursing grade, rewards were given more to academic qualification rather than experience and service provision.
The practice has resulted in staff moving in large numbers to universities sometimes to pursue courses with little relevance to their core duties, he said.
Dr. Nang-Beifubah said the issue was being handled at the highest level and appealed to staff to try and better their grades to qualify for consideration to pursue relevant courses.
He said two Midwifery Training Schools had been opened at Jirapa and Nandom and appealed to all those who are willing to take advantage of this chance to do so by following the right processes.
He said President John Atta Mills had declared this year “a year of action” and called on all Ghana Health Service Staff in the region to join in the crusade to expunge indiscipline, laziness and work harder to produce results more than ever.
Mr. Duogu Yakubu, Wa Municipal Chief Executive, said the construction of eight health facilities within two years underscored the health directorate’s determination to tackle health problems in communities.
Mr. Yakubu said the assembly was constructing three health facilities at Sing, Dondoli and Nyagli to beef up the Community Health Planning and Services Compounds in the municipality at a total cost of 168,962 Ghana cedis.
He expressed worry about the pressure brought to bear on the finances of the assembly over sponsorship of health personnel in various training institutions.
“These are on a high side and there is the urgent need for us to sit and prioritise our health personnel needs and design a selection criterion that would be fair and acceptable to all”, Mr. Yakubu said.