President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has restated his willingness to complete exiting health facilities in the country.
Speaking to the nation in his 3rd State of the nation Address, President Akufo-Addo said the country still faced problems of inadequate infrastructure in the health establishments despite the significant improvement in the sector.
“We have problems of numerous structures at various stages of completion that cannot be finished and brought into use, because newer structures are being started, and there is no money to finish the ones started earlier,” he stated.
He noted that the long-standing problem of uncompleted health facilities has marked the underdevelopment of the country.
However he indicated, “We will not ignore or sweep the problem under the carpet. We are dealing with it, and will complete them.”
Highlighting some of the achievements in the sector, Presiden Akufo-Addo said Ghana among others won accolades at the World Health Assembly for having eradicated Trachoma, an eye disease that has plagued us for a long time.
“Today, our NHIS is buoyant. Government has paid up the GH¢1.2 billion arrears we inherited, and brought the operations of the NHIS back to life. On 19th December, 2018, the introduction of mobile renewal of membership was launched.
Since then, there have been, on average, seventy thousand (70,000) members renewing their membership every week, by dialling *929# on any mobile phone network. Soon, in collaboration with the National Identification Authority, Ghanaians would be able to register, renew and access health care services using the Ghana Card,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo further noted that in order to deliver healthcare to Ghanaians more efficiently, in 2018, Government granted financial clearance for the recruitment of eleven thousand, one hundred and eighteen (11,018) health personnel to increase existing clinical staff.
To augment the efforts of clinical staff, in September, 2018, the Ministry of Health received further financial clearance to employ fourteen thousand, five hundred and twenty-four (14,254) Nurse Assistants (Clinical and Preventive).
These nurse assistants he said belonged to the tranche that passed their exams in 2016 from Government Health Training Institutions, and have commenced work by 1st February, 2019. The Ministry of Health is working to obtain financial clearance for the recruitment of the 2017 and 2018 graduates.
“The health delivery system will be significantly strengthened by the expected arrival in June of 275 ambulances, i.e. one per constituency, to make treatment of emergency cases more effective.
Drone technology has also been introduced into that system to help deliver essential medicine, blood and blood products to remote communities,” he added.
President Akufo Addo observed that Ghana’s hardworking nurses and doctors would do their best, as they have always done, to make sure we get the best health care, but it behoves on citizens to look after themselves better.
“Apart from exercising and taking our regular health check-ups seriously, it is imperative that we eat healthy diets to prevent diseases that are caused by poor choices of nutrition.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri