Dr. Emmanuel Atsu Dodor, Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the Ahafo Region, has raised concerns over the region’s worsening nurse-to-patient ratio and called for urgent action to address the issue.
Speaking at the Regional Health Directorate’s 2024 Annual Review Meeting in Hwidiem, Dr. Dodor revealed that the region’s healthcare system is struggling due to a sharp decline in the nurse-to-patient ratio, which worsened from 1:183 in 2023 to 1:201 in 2024.
He attributed this decline to two primary factors: the underdevelopment of the Ahafo Region and the increasing number of nurses migrating abroad in search of better opportunities.
Dr. Dodor explained that a lack of social amenities, inadequate staff housing, and poor road networks have led many nurses to frequently request transfers to more developed areas.
Despite these challenges, he commended local health professionals for their efforts in reducing the percentage of HIV-positive babies born to infected mothers.
The region recorded a significant decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission, dropping from 5.7% in 2023 to 1.7% in 2024. Dr. Dodor encouraged healthcare workers to build on this progress.
He urged them to intensify their efforts to achieve a zero-percent rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the coming years, ensuring the safety and well-being of newborns in the region.
By Najat Adamu
