The Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Mr. Epsona Avamga, has described the state of health delivery in the Bolgatanga Municipality especially with regards to health personnel as one of the worst in the country. He indicated that the doctor-patient ratio as at 2009 stood at 1:30,534 whilst the nurse-patient ratio was 1:734, adding that even though health facilities were available most of them were in a state of disrepair and also with obsolete equipment without personnel to even use them. He said in the Assembly's bid to address some of these challenges, they had initiated and completed the construction of a CHPS Compound with a Pavilion and borehole at Sherigu-Nyokoko, extension of electricity to Zuarungu-Moshie clinic and that of Sokabisi and Dachio. He said the Assembly had awarded on contract the construction of a CHPS Compound, a Pavilion and a borehole each at Kumbosco and Dorongo and work was progressing on the construction of CHPS Centres at Yarigabisi and Katanga. He said health facilities in the municipality stood at 20 out of which 16 were owned by the government, one by a mission, two by private individuals and one by a quasi-governmental organisation. The Municipal Chief Executive made these observations at the first in the series of the Upper East Region districts meet the press at Bolgatanga which was attended by the Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga traditional area Naba Martin Abilba, Assembly Persons, Heads of Departments and media personnel in the region. On education in the Municipality, Mr. Ayamga said, most institutions had inadequate classrooms and teacher's accommodation, adding, this situation had been aggravated by the extension in the duration of the senior high school (SHS) programme to four years. "Furthermore, the high rate of teachers leaving the service coupled with the quest for teachers to upgrade their knowledge in higher institutions has rendered many schools understaffed. In fact, the Pupil-Teacher ratio in the municipality stands at 56:1 for public schools and 28:1 for private schools". He said in their attempt to address the educational infrastructure challenges, the central government and the Municipal Assembly had to embark on a crash programme to eliminate schools under trees and the shift system by constructing three unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities at Yorogo-Medina and Baptist Junior High School. Similar facilities were also constructed at Nyariga, Soe, Asoongoom, Yipala, Dubila, Azalong, Tinnonmolgo, Kantia and Afeghera. He said the Assembly also constructed a six unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities each at Bolgatanga Experimental, Sherigu and Atampurum schools and also manufactured and supplied 380 dual desks to basic schools in the municipality. The Municipal Chief Executive said disposal of solid and liquid waste was another major problem confronting the Assembly, saying, statistics showed that about 15 per cent of the total waste generated was collected and disposed. He said there were 27 septic tanks, one VIP, six KVIP and four public water closets serving a population of 15,444 from a total population of 73,809 within the municipality. He said the National Youth Employment Programme which started under the previous administration and which was been continued by the present government had engaged 1,453 youth under various models of the programme in the Municipality. He said 350 Youth have been recruited under the Community Teaching Assistance module, 150 on the Health Extension, and 115 under the Greening Ghana Project and under the Youth in Trade and Vocation 36 are under the Dressmaking and 363 under the basket weaving module. He added that 36 have been recruited under the ICT module, 258 on Paid Internship, 110 in Waste and Sanitation, 10 under Community Protection Unit and 25 under the Beautification of the Capital Cities module. Source: Daily Graphic