Overview

Dormaa Municipality, which used to be Dormaa District, was established under District Council Concept in 1975. It covered Wamfie and Nkrankwanta enclaves before they were carved out into Dormaa East and Dormaa West Districts in 2008 and 2012 respectively. The Dormaa District was upgraded to a Municipal status in 2008.

The Municipal Health Directorate (MHD) is headed by the Municipal Director of Health Service. He is assisted by various unit heads including Disease Control, Nutrition, Reproductive and Child Health, Administration as well as Finance Units. Under each unit are technical and administrative staff of varied qualification and experience.

The MHD is responsible for policy dissemination, stakeholder dialogue, capacity-building, coordination of planning and implementation of health policies and programmes in the municipality.  The Units under the MHD provide technical support, monitoring and supervisory functions of health services delivered at the sub-district, and community level in the municipality.

Under the MHD, we have 5 Sud-Municipalities headed by Sud-Municipal in charges who provide supervision, technical and management support as well as champion the implementation of health policies and programmes at the sub-districts within the municipality.

There are 25 health facilities comprising CHPS facilities (11), clinics (4), maternity homes (2), health centres (7), district hospitals – Dormaa Presbyterian Hospitals (1) in the Municipality. These facilities are owned by the government, mission, and private. The Municipality borders to west by the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire and has Point of Entry (Port Health) Facilities (2). As the body responsible for health services in the Municipality, the MHD maintains close links with all other agencies of the Ministry of Health, the local government system, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders in health including development partners, and civil society in the municipality.

Mandate of the MHD

The Municipal Health Directorate (MHD) represents the administrative apex of health services delivery within the Municipality. The mandate is to provide and prudently manage comprehensive and accessible health service with special emphasis on primary health care at the district and sub-district levels in accordance with approved national policies. The MHD also works with Regional Health Directorate, health partners, and other stakeholders to increase access to health services, through the provision of health infrastructure, human resources, logistics/health commodities, public health and clinical care interventions.

Functions of the MHD

Generally, the Municipal Health Directorate implements and monitors health Sector policies, ensures effective coordination of activities, judicious management of health resources (human, logistics, equipment and infrastructure) and provides guidance and technical support to the Sub-Municipal and Community Health Service providers. More specifically the region engages in the following:

  • Ensuring access to health services at the sub-district and community levels by providing health services or contracting out service provision to other recognized health care providers, mission and private, in the municipality
  • Undertaking effective management and administration of the health resources within the municipality
  • Promoting healthy lifestyles and good health habits among the public through effective and targeted health education
  • Developing appropriate strategies and setting technical guidelines to achieve national policy goals/objectives
  • Implementing and monitoring health policies, strategic plans, protocols, standards and guidelines set up by region in the municipality
  • Planning and delivery of clinical interventions
  • Planning and management of public health programmes in the municipality
  • Establishing effective mechanism for disease surveillance, prevention and control in the municipality
  • Strengthening public health action to reduce impact of emergencies and disasters on health in the municipality
  • Supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation of programme implementation
  • Human resource management (including staff welfare)
  • Transport, equipment and estates management
  • Data collection, analysis, reporting and feedback
  • Collaboration with key stakeholders in health (NGOs, Community leaders, Decentralized departments, CBOs, etc.).

The MHD is the BMC that takes care of all the 15 Ghana Health Service facilities in the Municipality.

Mr. Stephen Nyarko-Ameyaw

DDHS- Dormaa Municipality