ACCESS TO HEALTH DELIVERY

 

 An audio record on view of accessibility of health care.

The delivery of health is an important factor in measuring the development of a country.  Patients who visit various health care centres have different experiences to share. The qualities of health care services they receive assess their satisfaction from the service.

Having access to health services does not only mean the availability of health facilities but having the necessary resources to render quality services to patients. For instance, a person seeking medical attention was rushed to a nearby hospital in his vicinity. The diagnosis of the patient is heart related and needs urgent care but was referred to another hospital that could be far from where he lives or where the hospital is. Here, there is the availability of a health facility but the patient has to travel long distances to have access to health care. Situations such as this can be far worse in the rural areas when health practitioners are not efficient and lack both the human resources and material resources. Another instance was in a rural community. A patient who needed help collapsed and died right before a nurse who seemed not to care when the patient needed it.

 The effectiveness of a health care system is best measured in terms of how well it keeps its people healthy and how fast it treats patients at least cost. Most Ghanaians have lost hope in getting quality health care delivery in Government hospitals hence, seeking the best in private hospitals. Thus, people have learnt to put their lives and trust in private hospitals to deliver quality services. The question is why? Considering the existence of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) yet most Ghanaians seek medical attention from the private hospitals. The NHIS exist to cater for medical needs of citizens yet does not cover all ailments. What then happens to a patient with the NHIS in such a situation? What also happens to the patient whose condition cannot be treated here in the country? There are instances where prominent people are sent outside the country for treatments. What about the ordinary Ghanaian. When the richest with many medical insurance policies needs urgent medical attention dies here in Ghana questions the accessibility of health care we have.

Looking at health is not only medical but the complete, physical, mental and social well being and merely not the absence of disease. Most cases of mental issues are treated by trained health professionals when they are acute some are left with no alternatives than to visit spiritualists and churches for help. Once a colleague visited a Psychiatrist hospital here in Ghana and needed help. The doctors available were only three and had to wait for almost five (5) hours only for the doctor to suggest his own hospital.

The issue of access to quality health care in Ghana should be the top most of discussions. The quality of health care delivery affects all sectors of the economy because every economy relies on a healthy population.