Access to health care services in Ghana sports: a case study of the Kintampo District
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Date
2004-11-24
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Abstract
This study was undertaken to assess the state of and access to health care services in Ghana sports with particular reference o the Kintampo District
professional sports in recent times is characterized by extreme physical and mental exertions where things are stretched beyond the Limits of the ordinary. Against this background, it is one of the most fundamental duties of every sports administrator to ensure good health care of his sportsmen and women.
Good health care of the sportsman and woman can take the form of a. periodic medical examination, regular health monitoring measures, provision of quality and quantity diet, provision of medical care services and also opportunity to have access to information and education on personal health issues.
Issues relating to the health of sports performers are most often relegated to the back ground at the expense of other issues
This phenomenon has caused man sports talents fail to realize their full potentials through incapacitation and sometimes death.
The study method includes interviews of retired sportsmen and women who had been victims of sports injuries. Sports administrators were interviewed.
The sample size was ninety (90), made up of fifty (50) sportsmen, victims of sports injuries and other health related problems, and forty (40) sports administrators.
Closed and open — ended questionnaire were used after pre-testing them.
The respondents were conveniently and purposively sampled.
Results and findings indicate that there is a 1 00% awareness response from respondents on the risks associated with sports However, sports administrators are not doing much to cater for the health needs of their sportsmen and women. Further findings indicate that no sports
administrator for instance has ever taken his Sportsmen and women through any form of medical examination since 1st January, 2002. The findings on health personnel situation in the Teams indicate that no Team administrator enjoys the services of Team Physicians, Team Psychologist, Team Nutritionist, Team Physiotherapist. among others, as each position recorded 100% non availability.
Results of the study concluded that access to health care services in Ghana sports is poor. It was therefore recommended that all stakeholders in sports development in the District should come out with policies that would make health care service affordable and accessible to sportsmen and women in the District and the Country at large.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Community
Health, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of MSc.degree in Health Services Planning and Management, 2004