By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), April 26, GNA – Dr. John Tampuori, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ho Teaching Hospital, has appealed to the government to support the development of a national tertiary healthcare policy to strengthen specialised healthcare delivery in Ghana.
He made the call during his welcome address on Friday, when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health led by Dr. Thomas Winsum Anabah, MP for Garu, visited the facility in Ho.
Dr. Tampuori emphasised that a robust policy would help streamline tertiary healthcare services, enhance specialization, and significantly reduce overseas medical referrals, ultimately saving the country substantial sums of money.
“If we have a clear tertiary healthcare policy in place, many of the cases that are currently being referred abroad—especially to India—can be treated right here in Ghana,” he stated.
He noted that while policies exist for public health and other areas, there is no established framework guiding tertiary healthcare, which often leads to institutions improvising based on their individual interpretations of what a teaching hospital should offer.
Dr. Tampuori stressed the need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach involving key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) unit of the ministry.
“There must be a national roadmap for tertiary care, backed by policy, to ensure we make deliberate and targeted investments in this critical aspect of healthcare,” he said.
He added that the lack of a unified policy has limited government investments in tertiary specialisation, thereby increasing the burden on citizens and the health system.
In response, Dr. Thomas Anabah assured the hospital management that their concerns and recommendations would be carefully reviewed and considered in the formulation of a national tertiary healthcare framework.
“We acknowledge the importance of your request, and as a committee, we will work towards influencing the needed policy changes to improve tertiary healthcare delivery across the country,” Dr. Anabah said
GNA
MA/AD