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HEALTH

Sissala West Health Directorate still leads in Upper West

The Sissala West District Health Directorate has consistently topped the 11 districts in the Upper West Region in the area of data quality production and achieving zero maternal deaths for two consecutive years.

Date Created : 3/28/2019 4:17:14 AM : Story Author : Prosper K. Kuorsoh/Ghanadistricts.com

It was also ranked second best in the overall health performance in the region, said Madam Cecilia Kakariba, the Sissala West District Health Director, during the 2018 Annual Performance Review Meeting in Gwollu on Thursday.

She said keeping the right data aided in planning, decision making and lobbying for resources to help improve performance in the sector.

Madam Cecilia said quality data also enabled the district to put out information with the right confidence and competence and in the manner that would present the accurate picture to the public.

The District Director of Health said the district adopted certain innovations that enabled it keep leading the whole region in terms of data quality.

These include establishment of performance assessment and awards scheme for hardworking health facilities, monthly follow ups to drug stores for data on Family Planning services and the institution of outreach antenatal care services to communities.

Others are the procurement of laptops for some unit heads to ensure quality data management, lobbied for four Community Health Nurses and Disease Control Officers awaiting postings to support in service delivery, and provision of credit monthly for every staff to ensure quality data management.

Madam Cecilia said other achievements by the District included improvement in key maternal and child health indicators and improvement in disease surveillance of suspected cases.

She said despite the successes chalked, the district is still grappling with some challenges including inadequate maternal health equipment for service delivery, lack of ambulance in the district hospital, and inadequate staff quarters resulting in about 90 percent of staff renting in town.

Others are inadequate motorbikes to reach out to communities, no support staff at the hospital and the District Health Administration and lack of rural incentive for the only rural Doctor.

Mr Mohammed Bakor, the Sissala West District Chief Executive (DCE), said the district is committed to implementing policies that would ensure increased education delivery, improved healthcare and the transformation of the local economy through modernised agriculture.