By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, April 14, GNA – Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, Former Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has handed over the management of the Service to Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, also a former Director of the North East Region.
The GHS as part of efforts to strengthen quality healthcare delivery to facilitate its objectives, reshuffled Regional Health Directors to enhance healthcare service delivery across the country.
Dr Boakye-Boateng, who took over the management of the Service in the Region in September 2023, was reassigned to the GHS headquarters as the Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PPMED), effective April 14, 2025.
In his address to Heads of Departments, Municipal and District Directors of the Service, Medical Superintendents among other stakeholders at a ceremony to hand over, described his work in the Region as an “exciting journey.”
“I have enjoyed working with my staff, from Senior Management Committee, Regional Health Management Committee, especially the District Directors and Medical Superintendents, and all staff,” he said.
The outgone Director said the Region performed well in terms of holistic assessment, which was 3.5 for two consecutive years, but increased to 3.9 in 2020, “We have Agenda 4.5; that is 4.5 over five in terms of holistic assessment.
“We hope to achieve this in the next two years, and I am sure the new Director, Dr Abubakari, will do very well. If the staff and people of the Region continue to give them the same support, they can do better,” Dr Boakye-Boateng said.
On challenges of the Service in the Region, he mentioned that staff, especially doctors and other critical staff refuse postings to the Region, “So that has been the challenge, and the few that accept postings to this Region, all want to work at the Regional Hospital.”
He called on staff to sacrifice, stay in the Region and work to improve health service delivery, and thanked them for the support extended to him during his stay, and further urged them to extend same support to his successor.
Various unit heads within the Service, and leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) took turns at the ceremony to eulogize Dr Boakye-Boateng for his leadership style and wished him well in his new position and future endeavours.
Mr Stephen Bordotsiah, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director of the GHS, on behalf of his colleagues, said the work of the outgone Director would testify to his quality and style of leadership.
He said the Municipal and District Directors of the Service would extend the same support offered to Dr Boakye-Boateng, to his successor, “The team is ready, and we are ready to work with you.”
Dr Abubakari the incoming Regional Director in an address, thanked his predecessor for delivering on the core mandate of the GHS in the Region, and pledged to continue from where Dr Boakye-Boateng left and noted that “One sure way of succeeding is for teamwork.”
He said the North East Region was relatively smaller than the Upper East Region and appealed to all staff of the Service to offer him the needed support to successfully manage the Service.
GNA
FAA/AD