The Yendi Government Hospital is faced with shortage of staff at all levels, a situation that has compelled the hospital to spend huge amounts on hired labour. The Yendi Municipal Senior Health Service Administrator, Mr Zakariah Yakubu announced this when he presented a report on the hospital’s mid-year performance review meeting for 2011 at Yendi in the Northern Region. Mr Yakubu stated that even though approval had been given, there had not been replacements of staff who had left the hospital during the past three years. He said the hospital which was a referral Centre for the Eastern Corridor, had 115 bed capacity, seven functional wards, Pharmacy, X’ Ray, Laboratory, Theatre, Laundry and maintenance among others. He said there was no Surgeon at post and that the Medical Superintendent had to undertake that responsibility, adding however that a Cuban Gynecologist had been sent to the hospital recently to ameliorate the situation. He indicated that the hospital had started sponsoring student nurses to improve the staff situation and that three nurses who had completed their courses had so far returned to work there. Mr Yakubu announced that malaria continued to be the number one cause of morbidity and mortality at the hospital and accounted for 52.9 per cent of total OPD attendance, 42.5 per cent of admissions and 25 per cent of deaths, as compared to 2010 figures of 41.5 per cent OPD and 45 per cent of admissions. He stated that total malaria requests stood at 9,024, with 3,225 laboratory confirmed cases which was equivalent to 36 per cent. On HIV/AIDS Mr Zakariah indicated that total blood donors during the half year was 494, out of which 25 tested positive, representing 5.1 per cent. Mr Zakariah said the hospital urgently needed an ambulance for the service of the entire Eastern Corridor, adding that delays in the reimbursement of National Health Insurance Scheme claims was another huge challenge facing the hospital. The Principal Health Nurse at the Municipal Health Directorate, Madam Gertrude Yentumi stated that the half-year performance review meeting was aimed at reviewing activities carried out, as against targets set. “This will enable us to identify existing gaps in service delivery and to see how to improve upon service delivery for the rest of the year.". Madam Yentumi indicated that it also gave health workers the opportunity to share ideas and innovations among themselves. Madam Yentumi announced that malnutrition among children below five years was also on the rise in the Municipality and that since malnutrition accounted for a large percentage of infant mortality, the Municipality might not be able to achieve the MDG5 if the prevailing trend was not reversed. She commended the hard working health staff of the Municipality, all other health partners and the Municipal Assembly for their contribution to health service delivery in the Municipality. Source: GNA