Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Ghana will soon join the likes of Malawi and Rwanda in the provision of blood supply and essential medicines in remote areas of the country using drone technology.
This follows government’s initiatives to ensure Ghana attains Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through strengthening health systems, increasing healthcare personnel and using innovation to reach those in remote areas.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who announced this at the 2018 Health Summit in Accra, said government will sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a few days, which will see the innovative idea, already being implemented in two African countries, replicated in Ghana.
“I am glad to report that Ghana, I think this week will be signing an MoU and by the middle of this year or maybe by September we will join Malawi and Rwanda in using droned technology to deliver blood supply and essential medicine so we are going to do so this year,” he said.
Addressing the summit themed: ‘Achieving Universal Health Coverage- Using Innovative Approaches’, the vice president expressed government’s commitment to attain health for all irrespective of where they are located on the country’s map.
In view of that, Dr Bawumia revealed that government has kept its obligations to financing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) removed 17.5 percent VAT on essential drugs imported and reinstated the nursing training allowances to allow training of essential health personnel.
He further added that through the Ministry of Special Development Initiative, government has began the process of procuring ambulances for every constituency in the country to be part of the national ambulance system to help in the delivery of health services.
“On 1st May the president is going to be launching the Nation Builder Corps, where we want to provide work for a lot of our tertiary graduates to help in nation building. We have now engaged the Ghana Health Service and we are prepared to recruit even up to 10,000 nurses and health assistants to be part of the module with contracts of up to three years to provide them with jobs so we can push them to the areas they are needed,” he stated.
WHO
Speaking as the guest of honour, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, recognised the consistent manner in which Ghana has pursued the goal of UHC.
Dr Moeti also made particular mention of the financing module for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which she said is a good example.
“The financing of the National Health Insurance from tax revenue is a good example,” she said.
Dr Moeti indicated that the WHO understands that UHC will not be achieved through one-side-fit-alls all approach, hence has developed a framework for action to assist countries to select options which best suits their context.
“I am glad that Ghana will sign the UHC compact proposed by our director general during the World Health Assembly, which is publicly demonstrating our commitment,” she said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri