Traditional authorties help hospital staff to cut tape. Inset: The theater
MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT of Tamale West Hospital, Dr. Bashiru A. Majeed has expressed worry over neglect of the facility which he says is impeding efficient health delivery.
He has appealed to government to adequately resource the hospital to better serve people in and around the metropolis and ease pressure on Tamale Teaching Hospital.
The absence of an operating theatre he noted had led to many needless deaths that had contributed to the high rate of maternal and neonatal deaths in the area, hampering achievement of MDGs 4 and 5.
Dr. Majeed who disclosed this at the official commissioning of a modern surgical theatre for the hospital in Tamale noted it would help address problems related to surgical, obstetric and  gynaecological emergencies which have to be referred to Tamale Teaching Hospital.
He said out of the 131 maternal deaths recorded in the region, 15 of them resulted during referrals from the districts adding that some of the deaths could have been avoided if all the hospitals in the area had functional operating theatres.
Twenty nine surgeries have been performed in the new theatre and Dr Majeed commended heath workers and other professionals for showing great commitment and professionalism in the discharge of their duties as well as curbing rising maternal mortality in the region through the introduction of comprehensive emergency obstetric care.
He however cited unreliable water supply, inadequate accommodation facilities, lack of a generator and encroachment on hospital lands as major constraints facing the hospital and called on the authorities to intervene.
Dr. Majeed commended the Ministry of Health, World Vision, Coca-Cola Ghana, UNICEF, UNDPF, JICA and Swiss Red Cross for their contribution towards the project and the hospital.
In a speech read on his behalf, Northern Regional Minister Moses B. Mabengba pledged to provide the hospital with a standby generator through the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and commended management of the hospital for providing the theatre using internally generated funding with support from donors.
He said government was committed to the welfare of Ghanaians as the Better Ghana agenda was on course stating that health formed a crucial component of national development.
Tamale West Hospital which started operation in 1998 as a polyclinic now provides 24 hour service with a bed capacity of 107.
It serves a population of 399,359 and has been the referral facility for smaller health centers in the metropolis and surrounding districts.
 From Stephen Zoure, Tamale
