Doctor to population ratio worsens in Bono East Region

The Medical Doctor to population ratio in the Bono East Region has worsened from 1 to 18,287 in 2020 to 1 to 20,397 in 2021, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Bono East Regional Director of Health Services, has revealed.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng stated that the figure was against a target of 1 to 7,500 with a worsening geographical equity index from 0.20 in 2020 to 0.1 in 2021 (target of 0.55).

He made the disclosure at the 2022 half-year performance review meeting on the theme, “Increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Bono East” on Tuesday at Kintampo in the Bono East Region.

The Regional Director said the meeting was aimed at discussing issues relating to health, assessing the region’s performance during the period under review, and making meaningful decisions.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng noted that out of 835,086 eligible populations for COVID-19 vaccines, 433,781 (51.9 percent) had been vaccinated with a dose and 326,032 (39 percent) had been fully vaccinated.

“Our family planning receptor rate for 2021 was 41.5 percent (target of 40 percent) as compared to 40 percent in 2020.”

“We recorded an improvement of skilled delivery from 65.8 per cent in 2020 to 66.8 percent in 2021 (target of 60 percent),” he noted.

The Regional Director said they registered a drop in diabetes mellitus cases of 0.52 percent for an estimated one to five percent, and 1.8 percent out of an estimated five to 10 percent in hypertension.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng added that institutional malaria under five case fatality rose from 0.20 in 2020 to 0.24 in 2021, and the malaria mortality rate worsened from 0.01 to 0.03.

He appealed for duty vehicles at the regional directorate, an infrastructure to start operating the Regional Medical Stores (RMS), more human resources, and the completion of the regional health administration block.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng thanked the Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu Gyan and the RCC, Marie Stopes – Ghana, the various district and medical directors among other stakeholders, for their support.

The Director, Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante, who chaired the review meeting, congratulated the regional health services for the successes chalked and encouraged them to improve on their setbacks.