UE/R: SOCO PROJECT FACILITATORS URGED TO WORK HARD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – DCE NABDAM
By – Sadat Dabo
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in underserved regions by decentralizing postgraduate medical training, recruiting more health professionals, and providing the necessary equipment to improve service delivery.
The Minister gave the assurance during a visit to the Upper East Regional Hospital on Wednesday as part of his monitoring tour of the region to assess the implementation of the Government’s Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) Programme
The visit forms part of activities surrounding the District Directors of Health Conference and is aimed at evaluating progress of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, engaging frontline health workers, interacting with community stakeholders, and identifying operational challenges requiring immediate government intervention
Addressing doctors at the hospital, Mr. Akandoh disclosed that government has taken a strategic decision to decentralize postgraduate medical training to ensure the equitable distribution of specialist doctors across the country
“As part of government’s effort to ensure equitable distribution of medical doctors and specialists, we have decided to decentralize postgraduate training. It is a government priority and we will give it the attention it deserves,” he stated
The Minister acknowledged the numerous challenges facing the health sector but stressed that government remains committed to addressing them progressively
“There are a lot of things in the health sector we are looking at, and we cannot do everything within one or two years. It doesn’t mean we are turning a blind eye to your concerns. We will definitely address them,” he assured
Mr. Akandoh pledged that government would provide the equipment and logistics needed by healthcare workers to perform their duties efficiently
“Whatever equipment we think is appropriate for you to perform your responsibilities, we will make sure you have them,” he said
On staffing, the Minister reiterated government’s resolve to ensure underserved regions receive adequate numbers of healthcare professionals
He noted that while health workers’ concerns are legitimate, those challenges should not delay the posting of personnel to deprived areas
“We have classified some regions as underserved, and it has always been my position that we insist on where medical officers are posted instead of constantly changing them around.Government will continue to resolve legitimate concerns, but we cannot wait until every issue is resolved before posting health workers to underserved areas,” he explained
He further disclosed that the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service are using improved workforce data to identify staffing gaps and guide recruitment efforts to ensure equitable distribution of health personnel nationwide
The Minister encouraged health professionals to remain dedicated to their work while providing feedback that would help government improve conditions within the sector
Commending the staff of the Upper East Regional Hospital, Mr. Akandoh acknowledged the enormous workload they shoulder daily and praised their commitment to serving the people despite difficult working conditions
“I know whatever happens in every regional hospital. I know the workload at the Bolga Regional Hospital is enormous, and I know some of you are sacrificing beyond what is expected of you. Your dedication to saving lives is appreciated,” he said
He assured the health workers that government would continue to provide the logistics and support needed to improve healthcare delivery across the country
The Free Primary Healthcare Programme, one of the Government’s flagship health initiatives, seeks to bring essential healthcare services closer to communities, particularly at the primary healthcare level, while ensuring that every Ghanaian has access to quality and affordable healthcare regardless of location
Source – gbcuraonline.com
