Apart from the Kwahu Government Hospital, there are six (6) Sub-Districts in the health sector in the Kwahu South District. The Municipal Health Management Team (MHMT) headed by the Municipal Director of Health Services (M.D.H.S) is responsible for the management of all health activities in the Municipality. Located at Atibie, the Kwahu Government Hospital serves as a referral point for all the other health centres in the district. The M.D.H.S is supported by four (4) other Medical Doctors at the hospital. There is one (1) Midwifery Training School at Atibie. In the pdf file is a table (1) summarizing the nominal roll.

Four (4) out of the six (6) Sub-Districts have no offices. These include: Mpraeso, Kwahu Tafo, Abetifi/Nkwatia and Nkyenekyene. The remaining two sub-districts have two (2) offices instead of four.

The Government hospital needs the following for effective work:

1. A new OPD and casualty ward

2. New Conference Hall

3. Extension of the existing theatre

4. Security and drivers post

5. Municipal medical store

6. Municipal guest house

7. Regravelling of MHA office

8. Fencing of the MHA compound

In terms of equipments the health sector of the assembly needs computers and accessories, telephones, fridges, Delivery sets, vaccine carriers, cold chain equipment and mattresses.

Access to health services in the needs improvement especially in the rural arrears where the roads are bad. Shortage of personnel and lack of equipment further aggravate the situation. For instance the doctor/patient ratio in the district is 1:38, 750,000. There are four (4) health centres and 11 community clinics apart from the hospital. Available medical records from 2003 to 2006 on top ten causes of O.P.D. attendances shown in the pdf file table 3 reveals that Malaria is the most serious disease among people.

Maternal and Infant mortality rates for 2006 are 1.7 per 1,000 and 2.8 per 1,000 respectively. Immunization of children in 2005 achieved over 100% results in all four rounds. Perhaps this partly explains the decreasing trend in infants mortality rate as evidenced in pdf file tables 4&5

HIV/AIDS

The upsurge of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS has been quite considerable. Currently the district has a prevalence rate of 2.5% according to the MHMT.

Health Facilities

The health service providers consist of both public, private and NGOs whose work are complemented by the traditional medical practitioners. Majority of the traditional medical practitioners remain unregistered and operate especially within the rural communities . Various levels of health service delivery exist.

Five main levels have been identified viz:

• Hospital

• Health centres

• Clinics

• Reproductive and child health centres

• Community clinics

In addition to the above mentioned facilities, STD and blood screening facilities are available in the district. These facilities are found in the government hospital at Atibie.

In accordance with the National Immunization Programme, the MHMT carries out mass immunization of children against the six (6) child killer diseases annually. Overall coverage for 2005 is over 100% in all four rounds.

Summary of Problems for the Health Sector

1. Inadequate office and residential accommodation for staff

2. Shortage of medical officers and other health professionals

3. Poor state of Sub-District clinics and quarters for health workers

4. Mobility problems for staff

5. Lack of district medical stores

6. Inadequate medical equipment eg. Vaccine carriers

7. Spread of HIVAIDS