By Samira Larbie
Accra, Sept. 08, GNA – Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it will establish staff clinics in all regional hospitals to see to the health needs of health workers in the country.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the GHS, said effective health planning would not yield the needed dividends if the health workers were not taken care of.
To this end, “I have as a result, directed the Institutional Care Division to put in plans for the establishment of staff clinics that will see to the health needs of our staff,” the DG said.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye disclosed this at the three-day second Ghana Health Service (GHS), Senior Managers’ Meeting (SMM II) on Wednesday in Accra.
The 2022 meeting, with support from USAID, was on the theme, “Promoting Healthcare Planning for Healthy Lives: Where Healthcare Systems Meet Healthy Behaviours.”
The objective of the meeting was to take a renewed look at how the GHS together with its managers could match their performance thus far with proactive health planning to address the health care needs of Ghanaians.
It was also to synergise to enhance health seeking behaviours and protect the health of families and communities.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye also disclosed that the GHS had revisited the staff Medical Reinsurance scheme, and have set in motion plans to relocate the GHS headquarters to Pantang by the first quarter of 2023.
“Additionally, we have embarked on a number of e-health strategies, such as the digitalisation of our health provision processes, leveraging on smart office to make our work environments green, sustainable and conducive, as well as IT solutions to manage our fleet, personnel records and health information,” he stated.
The Director General was hopeful that the three-day meeting would thus afford them the opportunity to situate the evolving trends at the centre of their strategies to ensure that the availability of essential healthcare services to the populations in need.
He urged the regional managers not to relent in their efforts and contributions to improve the provision of health care services and ensure that quality Universal Health Coverage was not compromised.
Dr Francis Kasolo, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, speaking at the meeting, commended the GHS for the meeting and pledged the WHO’S continued support in ensuring that Ghana’s health delivery system was responsive, coordinated along the life course and achieved the UHC targets.
He said issues of integration and accountability for stronger health system performance and improved health outcomes was important and urged that implementation of reforms should not shift service delivery from fragmented programmes.
This would ensure provider-centred models of care to ensure there was increased access to a continuum of care, Dr Kasolo stated.
Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service, in a remark made on his behalf, said the Emergency Response System needed urgent collaboration to be more efficient.
He appealed to the GHS to appreciate the role of the National Ambulance Service and that means of transport of the Service should be looked at in the emergency care of patients to prevent recent happenings.
Prof Zakariah, in the interim, called for an emergency fund to help in the transportation of patients during emergencies.
The 2022 second Senior Managers Meeting also saw the launch of the 2022-2026 National Health Promotion Strategy.
Institutions and Development partners at the event include Coalition of NGOs in Health, the National Ambulance Service, Ghana Association of Quasi-Government Health Institutions, Christian Health Association of Ghana, World Health Organisation and USAID.
GNA