Nana Addo Addressing the health workers
President Akufo-Addo has indicated that his government is going to do its best to give the nation a first class health delivery system that the people of Ghana deserve.
To this end, he revealed that currently, the Ministry of Health was examining four different proposals for the construction of a new regional hospital in the Western Region.
President Akufo-Addo also pointed out that funding had been secured by government to commence the construction of a regional hospital in the Eastern Region.
“When I was growing up, there were three hospitals that we all knew about and they are Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Okomfo Anokye and Effia-Nkwanta Hospitals. So I do not think it would be right that because we want to build a new regional hospital for Western Region, we will abandon the old and famous Effia-Nkwanta Hospital,” he mentioned.
He continued…“Effia-Nkwanta already has important facilities and I promise the health facility will be rehabilitated.”
President Akufo-Addo was addressing health workers at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital on Wednesday on the last day of his three-day working visit to the Western Region.
“I need your support and understanding to give this nation a first class health delivery system that the people of Ghana deserve and we are going to do so with your active support and participation,” he told the health workers.
The president bemoaned the poor state of the country’s health infrastructure and stressed the importance of rebuilding the country’s health infrastructure.
“We will begin not just with the physical rehabilitation, but with the preparation of the human material in our healthcare delivery system, and the rehabilitation and revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).”
He stated that the NHIS is ex-President Kufuor’s great legacy to Ghana, adding, “The NPP is back in office, and it is our duty to restore the NHIS back to full health and vitality and that is what we are going to do.”
“I am happy to inform you that the ‘Asempa Budget’ that Ken Ofori-Atta read in March has made provision that at the beginning of this academic year, the nurses and teacher training allowances are going to be restored in full,” President Akufo-Addo revealed.
He asked for the unalloyed understanding and support of Ghanaians, especially of the health professionals, as government undertakes reforms to return the country’s economy to full health.
“It is not going to be easy because our public finances were in a poor state. Unfortunately, I did not inherit a treasury filled with a lot of money. I inherited a bankrupt economy filled with debt. I am, nonetheless, not intimidated by the debt. Anybody with a good heart and good head and with determination can turn debt into money, and that is what I intend to do,” he stressed.
“You are some of the most important people in any society – health workers, doctors, nurses and paramedicals. All of you, together, represent a huge and important human capital for the development of our country. I want you to know that you have a government in place that is going to give you the maximum support so that you can do your work well for the benefit of our people and the health of our nation,” he remarked.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi