Dignitaries unveiling the NHIA Research Policy and Agenda
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in collaboration with the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) and support from the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) has launched a knowledge sharing centre to contribute to best practices in healthcare financing and management.
The centre, which is being hosted by the UGBS, has already begun a one week training session for NHIS regional managers and district directors as well as representatives of the Ethiopian health insurance agency.
NHIA CEO, Dr. Bernard Oko Boye, speaking at the official launch of the centre and the NHIA Research Policy and Agenda said the knowledge sharing center, is a testament of the authority’s determination to continue learning.
“I say all the time that any organization that stops learning starts dying so, we are here to do what keeps all entities alive, which is to keep learning,” he said.
Dr. Boye further noted that the training which has its first cohort of 45 participants is expected to transform the lives of the managers for them to in turn transform their staff at the various offices.
“We believe strongly that when heads at various places become better persons and good at their job. Those who are following also become good at their job and so you are not here for yourself alone. You are here for the whole organization,” he said
He added that as the authority marks its 20th anniversary, “we are centralizing all our efforts on knowledge sharing… we believe it is time to share knowledge and where else than this particular center,” he stated.
Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafis Adam representing the sector minister said the research policy and a training curriculum, which seeks to provide continuous professional development, is a step in the right direction.
“The human resource of every organization is the most valuable and important resource entity and therefore, we find these to be in the right direction,” he emphasised.
Dean of UGBS, Prof. Justice Bawole, said it takes institutions that value human resources to commit resources to developing their staff.
He thus charged the participants to not leave the centre without learning something new.
“I want to challenge you to be able to see the outcomes of the training that we are going to be going through when you go back.
I am sure that the CEO and his deputies, together with the partners that are providing the funding for this exercise will want to see how your performance improves,” he added.
KOFI Country Director, Jinho Kang, was delighted to see the programme taking off after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. He pledged KOFIH’s continued support to quality and efficient healthcare delivery.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri