Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health
THE MINISTER of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, says it is not enough for healthcare delivery in the country to be affordable.
According to him, improving the quality of care and patient safety are also critical in the quest to achieve universal health coverage in the country.
It was in this direction, he indicated, that the Ministry of Health (MoH) was collaborating with health training institutions and agencies to recruit highly qualified health professionals for the health training institutions to enhance training of students.
In a speech read on his behalf by Rebecca Akorley, acting Head of Health Training Institutions Unit of MoH at the 10th anniversary celebration of Dunkwa-on-Offin Nursing and Midwifery Training College, the Health Minister stated that healthcare delivery must be of globally accepted quality.
For him, investment in health training is not only the right thing to do morally or ethically, but the smart thing to do economically.
“Health matters are national security matters. In terms of human resources personnel, the MoH in collaboration with other agencies has recruited qualified health professionals to meet accreditation requirements and enhance training of the students,” he indicated.
Agyeman-Manu said government had restored the health trainee allowance to assist trainees in research and academic work as part of quality improvement agenda.
He said government had also recruited a total of 54,892 health professionals, graduated from 2012 to date, since assuming office in 2017, to augment the staff strength in line with this quality issue.
He assured the college of ministry’s commitment to fix the infrastructure challenges confronting the college as he acknowledged the contributions of management in providing hostel facilities for students.
Principal of the college, Ben David Sampson said the college had built a great legacy over the years by churning out 3,748 healthcare professionals who were highly skilled, providing quality healthcare across the country.
He mentioned dining hall and kitchen as some of the current infrastructure challenges faced by the college and appealed for support from the ministry.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Dunkwa-on-Offin