First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has officially launched LifeNet International, an organization whose mission is to transform health facilities to provide quality and sustainable healthcare services.
The organization would work through partnerships with existing faith-based healthcare facilities in the country to equip and empower local healthcare providers to effectively address challenges in the discharge of their duties.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Akufo-Addo welcomed LifeNet International to the country saying Ghana has a history of church involvement in healthcare delivery.
She said data from the Christian Health Association of Ghana, (CHAG) as at 2020 showed over 400 health facilities are founded and managed by different churches.
“Clearly the church is a significant partner to the government in healthcare delivery. Health service provision whether church based or government-owned is faced with many challenges including financial, administrative, service delivery and inpatient care,” she added.
The First Lady noted that in order to have an efficient healthcare delivery system, the obstacles to quality healthcare must be address.
“I therefore find the mission of LifeNet International to transform health facilities very relevant and timely. In our 21st century technological age, we need organizations like LifeNet International.
Your methodology of using business principles, skills training and modern tools to transform healthcare must be applauded. I am excited that your interventions will provide comprehensive solutions to management, medical and supply challenges faced by many of our health facilities,” she stated.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo expressed the hope that the success that LifeNet International has chalked in other countries would be replicated in Ghana.
“I urge the leadership of LifeNet International to try the concept with government-owned health facilities as well. This would be a sure way of scaling up the concept to affect even more people including women and children,” Mrs. Akufo-Addo said.
President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeNet International, Dave Evans, said through working with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) health facilities would receive interventions including medical training in high impact practices addressing leading causes of preventable death and disease, including maternal, neonatal and child health, infection prevention, and disease care.
He noted that the selected facilities would, in addition, receive training in financial, human resource and administrative best practices to address leading causes of insolvency and equip facilities to operate sustainably.
Mr. Evans said LifeNet International would also seek opportunities to collaborate with third-party equipment donors to provide subsets of healthcare facilities with essential medical equipment and supplies.
There would be, “rigorous monitoring and evaluation alongside all interventions, ensuring long-term behavior change and quality assurance visits that serve to measure and evaluate success in meeting all project objective and goals.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri