The Deputy Minister of Health, Honourable Rojo Mettle-Nunoo delivered an address at Nyaho Medical Centre for the commissioning of its new medical imaging equipment, namely a CT Scan and Digital X-Ray machine, with a call on all hospitals, clinics and health care providers to emulate this example.
The event took place on Thursday, 16th September 2010 on the grounds of Nyaho Medical Centre and the guests included key figureheads and representatives from embassies, health care institutions, banks, insurance and other companies.
The Deputy Minister stated that Nyaho Medical Centre, by the acquisition of this modern equipment was keeping to its vision of “giving the best in medicine and nursing care” to meet the ever increasing health needs of our people, by making revolutionary improvements in its internal structure.
He mentioned that the CT scan is a very important element in the provision of diagnostic services as it is an improvement in the more widespread x-ray technology, adding that it is able to capture various angles of the internal structures within the human body in conducting medical examinations.
He also stated that the digital x-ray is an upgrade to the conventional system that is mostly used in the country, saying, “the advantages the two provide, essentially, are speed, efficiency and convenience and the ease of access of data not found in many medical centres in our nation”.
Hon. Mettle-Nunoo disclosed some policy initiatives the Ministry of Health has introduced to help in the equitable distribution of health personnel which has been a great burden.
He said that as a motivation to our workers, every region is to train its own health personnel, and if there is excess, they will be distributed among other regions where their services would be needed.
He also mentioned an increase in salary, introduction of a vehicle hire scheme, regionalization of training and retention of health workers, which have served as encouragement to health professionals to remain in the country.
He reiterated the Ministry’s policy to sponsor only medical officers who have worked in the deprived areas to further their studies in the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons to encourage their colleagues to also accept postings to the deprived areas.
Mandatory policies on first year of housemanship in Teaching Hospitals, and second year policies in District and regional Hospitals would also help in the equitable distribution of doctors throughout the country.
In her welcome speech, the Managing Director of Nyaho Medical Centre, Mrs. Janet Tamaklo, stated that the commissioning of the medical imaging equipment was a fulfillment of a pledge she made at the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Centre last May, saying, “ this is one of the strides we are making to take Nyaho Medical Centre to the next level”.
She paid tribute to key personalities and technicians through whose contributions, “we have managed to create a one-stop shop of providing laboratory facilities, ECG and Stress ECG, Ultrasound, a new x-ray and now CT scan, within our diagnostics centre to meet the health needs of our clientele and the general public.”
