Diseases associated with Ear, Nose and Throat, (ENT) is said to contribute 20% of Out Patient Department, (OPD), cases in the country. Industrial disasters and road accidents identified as major contributing factors.
Meanwhile, the efforts of the ENT nurses are not being recognised. This has been attributed to lack of basic tools and low infrastructure to train more nurses and also to create more centres for the practitioners.
This was disclosed by the General Secretary of the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Association, Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo at the opening of the second congress and sixth scientific section of the ENT Nurses Group which took place in Accra.
She called for more infrastructure to train more ENT specialists.
She also urged the ENT Nurses Group to ensure that records of their work are captured in the District Health Information Management Systems to build up their data.
The National Chairman of the ENT Group, Bismark Asare said the services of the ENT nurses are poorly recognised and comes with no motivation.
He appealed to the authorities to permit the setting up of private ENT health centres to enable more Ghanaians to readily access such services.
There are about 350 ENT Nurses in the country with the only existing ENT school located in Kumasi.
The event attracted different specialised nurses groups and representatives from the Ministry of health and student nurses.
Story By: Nhyira Kwabi
