An official of the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday noted that it would be a mirage for Ghana to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 without adequate health workers.
Dr Kwesi Assabil Deputy Director in charge of Human Resource Development at the MOH advocated the formulation of policies that would help increase the number of health personnel in the country to ensure quality health care delivery in the rural areas in particular and in the country in general.
Dr Assabil made the observation at the Central Regional 2012 annual Performance Review Conference in Cape Coast on the theme: "Scaling up best practices to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."
The three-day conference is being attended by District Health Directors, Medical Officers and Hospital Administrators, student nurses and other stakeholders.
Dr Assabil said with the migration of the staff of the Ghana Health Service onto the Single Spine Salary Structure, their salaries have been enhanced and therefore urged them to let it reflect in the services they deliver to the public.
Dr Samuel Kwashie, Regional Director of Health Services, said during the year under review his outfit directed all public health facilities in the Region to give priority attention to persons living with disabilities (PLWDS).
Last may a health education programme on malaria, family planning and HIV were organised for 220 PLWDS and in December the same year 125 PLWDS were also counselled and screened for diabetes, hypertensions and HIV.
Dr Kwashie said 10 new renal dialysis machines donated by the TOKUDA Foundation in Japan have been installed making the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital the second largest nephrology in Ghana.
He said civil and architectural works of the Diagnostic Centre Complex has been completed and the installation of relevant equipment is expected to start soon.
These include MRI, CT Scan, X-ray, Endoscopy and ECG facilities.
He said staff wastage continued to be one of the key challenges of the Service, explaining that last year, 78 health workers including 54 nurses and midwives retired from the service in the Region.
Dr Kwashie said 13 of the medical staff resigned while 27 others vacated their post. Two account officers and an accountant were dismissed for financial malfeasance.