By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Dec. 6, GNA – Mr Donatus Kamugri Atanga, Upper East Regional Minister, has inaugurated an 11-member Regional Health Committee of the GHS to provide strategic direction, coordinate interventions, strengthen governance and enhance accountability in the Region’s health sector.
The Committee is chaired by Mr Rudolf Nsorwinne Amenga-Etego, a Lawyer. Other members include Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, Regional Director of GHS; Alhaji Mohammed Issahaku, Coordinating Director at the Regional Coordinating Council; and Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, representing the Regional Hospital.
The rest are Sheikh Abubakar Sadiq Abdul-Rahman, Muslim Representative; Reverend Thomas Abukari, Christian Representative; Naba Bugum Zoti Samiisiga Malitinga Akwara III, representing the Regional House of Chiefs; and Dr Abdul-Razak Dokurugu, former Deputy Director of GHS in charge of Clinical Care.
Madam Vida Atepoka Abaseka, former Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer; Mr Razak Zongabon Abdul-Korah, Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service; and Mr Lawal Alhassan, Bolgatanga Municipal Director of the GHS, are ex-officio members.
Mr Paschal Dongzuing, Deputy Regional Director of Administration of the GHS, was sworn in as Secretary to the Committee.
The GHS and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 525), Section 18, establishes Regional Health Committees, appointed by the GHS Council in consultation with Regional Ministers to serve as Committees of the Council.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Atanga said the inauguration represented a renewal of the collective commitment to safeguard lives and well-being in the Region.
He noted that the Region had recorded significant progress in maternal and child health, immunization coverage, infectious disease control and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) operations.
Despite the gains, he said, the Region continued to face challenges including a high incidence of malaria, inadequate health infrastructure, pockets of maternal and neonatal deaths, shortage of critical health personnel, and rising lifestyle-related conditions, while emphasizing the need to improve emergency response systems.
“It is in the context of these challenges that the inauguration of this Regional Health Committee becomes not only timely but essential,” he said.
The Minister charged the Committee to be proactive and guided by the welfare of residents, adding, “Your work must yield real outcomes – reduced mortality, improved quality service delivery, better resource allocation, stronger partnerships and healthier communities.”
Professor Fred Newton Binka, Chairman of the GHS Council, congratulated the members and urged them to adhere strictly to their functions as outlined in the Act, including supporting policy implementation, overseeing regional health management and promoting public health initiatives.
Dr Abubakari, the Regional Director of GHS, said the tenure of the previous Committee ended in January 2025, and reiterated the commitment of the Service to deliver quality healthcare to the public.
Mr Amenga-Etego, on behalf of the Committee, expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in them and assured that the Committee would work diligently to improve healthcare delivery in the Region.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Audrey Dekalu