Background: A major factor for health services provision in various
communities is the concern for spatial justice in the distribution of
healthcare facilities. The eastern region with most of its population in rural
areas has been subject to frequent increases in the number of administrative
districts over time. This however has not correspondingly followed with a
significant increase in the number of health facilities and health personnel in
the region, a phenomenon that has disturbed the distribution of health facilities
and personnel, thus the purpose of this study to investigate the spatial
pattern in the distribution of health facilities and health personnel. Methods:
Data on the global positioning system of each health facility and the total
number of health workers were factored with the population in the
administrative districts of the eastern region as part of analysis to
investigate the distribution of health facilities and health personnel per
population of each district and the Region. Results: Health facilities and
health personnel were unevenly distributed, recently added districts such as
Kwahu Afram Plains South, Ayensuano, Upper West Akim along with existing ones
such as Birim South, Kwahu West, Akyem Mansa, and Kwahu East all lacked in
terms of health facilities and health personnel. Conclusions: This observed deficiency
in distribution of health facilities and health personnel has the potential to
generate productivity inequalities among residents of the Eastern Region which
in turn has a negative effect on the entire development of the region. Areas
that were identified as disadvantaged districts should be considered for
various intervention strategies.
Cite this paper
Manortey, S. and Acheampong, G. K. (2016). A Spatial Perspective to the Distribution of Healthcare Facilities and Health Personnel in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Open Access Library Journal, 3, e2956. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1102956.
Gauld, R., Blank, R., Burgers, J., Cohen, A.B., Dobrow, M.K., Ikegami, N.K.I., Kwon, S., Luxford, K., Milett, C. and Wendt, C. (2012) The
World Health Report 2008—Primary Healthcare: How Wide Is the Gap between Its
Agenda and Implementation in 12 High-Income Health Systems? Healthcare Policy, 7, 38-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2013.22778
Kibon, U.A. and
Ahmed, M. (2013) Distribution
of Primary Health Care Facilities in Kano Metropolis Using GIS (Geographic
Information System). Research
Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 5, 167-176.
Atser, J.
and Akpan, P. (2009) Spatial
Distribution and Accessibility of Health Facilities in Akwa Ibom State,
Nigeria. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management, 2, 49-57. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v2i2.45919
Umar, J.
and Bolanle, W. (2015) Locational Distribution of Health Care
Facilities in the Rural Area of Ondo State. British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 11, 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/BJESBS/2015/17701
Adedayo, A.
and Yusuf, R.O. (2012) Health
Deprivation in Rural Settlements of Borno State, Nigeria. Journal
of Geo- graphy
and Geology, 4, 52-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jgg.v4n4p52
Ujoh, F.
and Kwaghsende, F. (2014) Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of Health Facilities
in Benue State, Nigeria. Public Health Research, 4, 210-218.
Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development (2010) Report
of the Committee on District Boundary Disputes Relating to the 2010 Population
and Housing Census.
Sulemana, A. and Dinye, R.D. (2014) Access to Healthcare in Rural Communities in
Ghana: A Study of Some Selected Communities in the Pru District. European Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 2, 122-132.
Verutes, G.M., Fiocco, M.B., Weeks, J.R. and Coulter, L.L. (2012) Health, Poverty, and Place in Accra, Ghana: Mapping
Neighborhoods. Journal of Maps, 8, 369-373. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2012.744365
