The Bono East Regional Director of Health services, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng has asked the government to establish an Accident and Emergency Centre along the Kintampo-Tamale highway to cater for accident victims.
According to the health director, the absence of such a facility on the highway has contributed to the high number of deaths from road crashes in the area.
“The most critical moment for an accident patient is the holding time, that is where the patient needs to be stabilised before being referred to a specialised facility for treatment” he stated while attributing the high number of accident deaths to the lack of capacity of hospitals in the area to attend to high accident cases at any time.
Dr. Adomako-Boateng was speaking at the annual performance review of the health directorate at Kintampo on the theme: “Building structures for quality essential service delivery, preparedness and response for emerging and re-emerging diseases, the role of the community and strategic partnership”.
The Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale highway has been recording high numbers of accident cases annually. Last month, 23 persons died on the spot while 24 others were injured in an accident involving a Yendi-Kumasi bound grand bird bus and an articulated truck on the Kintampo-Tamale highway.
DISEASES
Dr. Adomako-Boateng said malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections are the leading causes of death of patients in the region and called for adequate steps to minimise the trend.
The Bono East Regional minister, Mr. Kwasi Adu Gyan, said the region is building structures for quality essential services.
He said the coordinating council is distributing newly recruited health professionals to the districts and communities to work with development partners to build the capacity of the district and regional rapid response teams.
“This is to enhance emergency preparedness plans and response to public health emergencies”, he said and added that “the Regional Coordinating Council is planning to site a teaching hospital in the region to provide tertiary level care as part of its strategic plan for the region..
“We have identified some development partners who have conducted extensive stakeholder consultation with major key players in the region, “he said and assured that the Regional Coordinator Council will continue to lobby for resources for all sectors including health.
The Bono East Regional Coordinating Council has meanwhile inaugurated a new medical stores meant to serve the region at Kintampo.
A wide range of high-quality medical supplies and equipment that would be used to treat various diseases and conditions and also serve as a vital distribution center for all the hospitals, polyclinics, health centres and CHPS Compounds in the region would be housed in the facility.
According to the Bono East Regional minister, Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the opening of the medical stores at Kintampo is part of the government’s strategy to enable citizens access adequate, quality medical supplies and equipment.
Mr. Adu Gyan said that the provision of comprehensive and integrated healthcare services to people is one of the core duties of any government.
According to the regional minister, the government is committed to ensuring that this is attained through a wide range of initiatives, including the opening of the regional medical stores.
The minister said the availability of medical supplies and equipment, health facilities in the region will help provide effective treatments to a larger number of people, regardless of their economic circumstances.
He asked district health directorates and the various hospitals in the region to patronize the services of the new regional medical store to make it one of the best if not the best performing regional medical store in the country.
