The Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang, has expressed frustration over the stagnation of essential healthcare projects in the region, which is worsening the strain on healthcare facilities.
The Sewua Regional Hospital, completed but non-operational due to lack of electricity and accessible roads, is one of the critical projects yet to be utilized. The Afari Hospital construction has also been stalled for over four years.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Tenkorang described this as frustrating, stating, “Sewua Hospital is completed, needing only electricity connection and access road completion, with less than GHS5 million required to start operations. Afari Hospital has 500 beds sitting idle for over four years. The government needs to commit to these projects.”
He attributed the rise in medico-legal cases to the lack of logistics and structures for healthcare providers, saying, “Hospitals and health providers need logistics and facilities to work efficiently. If patients receive quality care from improved health facilities, they won’t take us to court.”
Dr. Tenkorang also raised concerns about the brain drain in the health sector, with many skilled nurses remaining unemployed for over four years. He urged the government to clear the backlog of unemployed health officers, stating, “Employ them to fill the gap. We need to commit to building a robust health system.”
The stagnation of healthcare projects and brain drain in the health sector are hindering the provision of quality healthcare in the Ashanti Region, and Dr. Tenkorang’s calls for government commitment to these issues are crucial for improvement.
