THE Keta Municipal Hospital spends GH¢43, 000 every month to pay the salaries of temporary staff hired to fill the human resource gap at the facility.
This is in the wake of inadequate permanent staff for critical roles at the 110-bed hospital.
Worse, the hospital which was built in 1926, and now serves as the main referral centre in the municipality, does not have a physiotherapy unit.
Furthermore, the lack of adequate space at the maternity ward is also a big challenge to the hospital, as sometimes clients have to be nursed on mattresses on the floor.
The inadequate space at the maternity unit is being shared with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and this is compounding the situation.
The Medical Superintendent in-charge of the hospital, Dr Kwasi Asare Bediako, revealed these last week at a ceremony to unveil a plaque to honour the hospital for emerging first in peer review in 2014, 2015 and 2016 as well as the overall best hospital in the Volta Region in 2017.
The Keta Municipal Hospital is the maiden Government Hospital built in the Southern Volta to provide basic health care, comprising: basic clinical care, maternal and child health, communicable disease control and environmental health.
“With staff strength of 275, our mission is to implement approved national policies, improve health services and manage prudently resources available for the provision of health services, while our vision is to be the preferred health care facility in southern Volta and beyond,” Dr Bediako said.
He said that the hospital craved for a physiotherapy unit to cater for clients not only within the Keta Municipality but also within the entire southern zone of the region.
However, he stated that the hospital lacked the funding for that plan.
He, therefore, made a passionate appeal to public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist the hospital to make that dream to become a reality, and also help to provide the hospital with residential accommodation for the staff who commute from afar to work.
The Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III, who graced the occasion commended the management and staff of the hospital for their sterling health care delivery, in spite of the challenges facing them.
He gave the assurance that he would take up the grievances of the hospital with higher authorities as soon as possible for the challenges to be addressed.
In a related development, an overwhelming number of students of the Awudome Senior High School, Tsito in the Ho West District have voluntarily taken part in a blood donation exercise organised by the MTN Ghana Foundation.
In all, 152 pints of blood was collected.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, KETA
