The Western North Region continues to experience a worrying loss of health workers, with poor accommodation and limited incentives driving many professionals away and putting pressure on healthcare delivery.
At the 2025 Annual Regional Performance Review held in Bodi, the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Paulina Clara Appiah, described staff attrition as a major challenge confronting the region.
According to her, about 97 health workers left the region in 2024, with the number rising to 143 in 2025.
She noted that approximately 35 percent of those who exited either vacated their posts or proceeded on leave without pay.
Dr Appiah attributed the trend largely to the lack of accommodation and limited incentives for health professionals.
She further revealed that out of 28 doctors posted to the region, only 12 have reported for duty.
Although the available doctors have been distributed across hospitals, she stressed that inadequate accommodation continues to hinder efforts to retain staff. The directorate, she said, still relies heavily on support from District Chief Executives, Members of Parliament, and other stakeholders to provide housing for health workers.
Despite these challenges, the region has recorded some improvements in maternal and child health. Antenatal care attendance increased from 75.5 percent to 77.9 percent, while nearly all newborns now receive postnatal care within 48 hours.
Screening under the One Million BP Check Campaign has also improved the detection of hypertension and diabetes, although both conditions remain among the leading causes of death. She added that HIV-related deaths are no longer among the top ten causes of mortality in the region.
Dr Appiah, however, highlighted the absence of a Regional Medical Stores as a major setback.
She explained that medicines are transported from Takoradi a journey of more than seven hours resulting in delays and periodic shortages in health facilities.
She therefore appealed for support to operationalise a Regional Medical Stores, noting that a warehouse has already been secured from the Juaboso District Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Caroline Randolph Amissah, reaffirmed government plans to introduce free primary healthcare, aimed at improving access to essential health services across the country.
By Mathew Ahiaveh
