A 2019 Performance Review of the Hohoe Municipal Health Directorate has revealed that inadequate and limited number of some crucial staff together with high numbers of non-established staff at the Hohoe Municipal Hospital, have led to reduction in service utilisation of the hospital.

Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance, admission rate and deliveries dropped by three point two per cent, two per cent and three per cent, respectively.

Mr. Serene Akpanya, Administrator of the Hohoe Municipal Hospital speaking at the perofrmance review meeting, held under the theme, “Enhancing health service delivery through community ownership,” said the inadequate number of staff had resulted in pressure on the existing workers of the hospital, long waiting time at the OPD and laboratories.

He said out of the 623 workers required by the hospital, 488 were at post and they included 15 medical officers, 53 midwives, 192 nurses, 23 allied health staff, 73 health administration and support services and 128 casual staff.

He said although the Hospital had received posting of three specialists in dental, obstetrics and public health, only one was currently at post, adding that three pediatric nurses had returned from school and helping the facility to deliver efficient and quality services.

Their other challenges involved delay in reimbursement of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) claims, high indebtedness to suppliers, shortage of medical supplies and logistics and abandonment of planned projects.

He said limited accommodation for emergency staff was another problem they had been struggling with and called on traditional leaders to help tackle this.

Mr. Akpanya noted that in some communities, residents who were healthcare providers extended voluntary services to health facilities in their vicinities whenever they were on vacation and challenged locals in that capacity to offer their professional services to the Hospital anytime they were available.

The Administrator said despite the challenges, it had achieved successes during the review period, mentioning a feasibility study on installation of oxygen plant, architectural work on construction of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Teleconsultation unit and renovation of nurse manager’s residential accommodation.

He said the Hospital also had adequate blood to take care of obstetrics emergencies, mechanization of two additional boreholes, procured equipment to augment equipment state of NICU and commencement of procurement process for equipment for NICU and a second theatre for the Hospital.

Added to that were a functional public health unit and an emergency department with the presence of a surgeon, something that had led to an increase in medical and surgical services from 500 cases in 2017 to 1900 cases in 2019.