By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), June 01, GNA – Professor William Angku, a Professor of Health Economics at the SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), has reiterated the need to invest in the welfare of nurses and midwives to ensure effective delivery of healthcare services.
“Investing in the welfare of nurses and midwives ensures that you (nurses and midwives) can effectively promote the health of the population that you need.
“Investing in nurses and midwives builds a better health system and creates a more resilient, equitable, and prosperous society.
So, we must, as the government, invest in the welfare of our nurses and our midwives because the nurses and midwives are the nucleus for which our health system works,” he explained.
Prof. Angku said this in Wa during the climax of the Nurses and Midwives week celebration by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) on the theme: “Nurses and Midwives, Our Future: Caring for Nurses and Midwives Strengthens Economy.”
He stated that if the government prioritised the well-being of individuals, and desired to foster the growth of communities and strengthen economies, it should focus on enhancing the welfare of nurses and midwives.
The Health Economist observed that though medical doctors played a significant role in the healthcare delivery system, nurses and midwives were critical in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of the service delivery system.
He emphasised that nurses and midwives were the front line of the health system saying, “A weakened nursing and midwife workforce translates into a weakened health system.”
He therefore entreated the government to improve the condition of service of nurses and midwives to motivate them to give their best in the service delivery.
Dr. Josephat Nyuzaghl, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, observed that the region remained unattractive leading to nurses’ refusal to accept posting to the region.
He, however, said despite that challenge, the region had made significant efforts in strengthening nurses and midwife’s workforce with the current nurse-to-population ratio standing at 1:287, surpassing the national standard of 1:450.
He added that the current midwife-to-women of reproductive age ratio in the region was 1:237 against a national standard of 1:700.
Dr. Dr. Nyuzaghl also identified uneven distribution of nurses and midwives across the district as a major challenge as it disproportionately affects the “deprived” districts.
Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, reiterated the need to empower, train, retain, and adequately remunerate nurses and midwives to enable them improve healthcare outcomes.
He said President John Dramani Mahama remained committed to the welfare of nurses and midwives through policies such as restoration of automatic posting.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
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