By Godfred A. Polkuu
Yagaba (NER) Dec 23, GNA-Dr Abdul Rauf Sulemana, the Mamprugu Moagduri District Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the North East Region, says the ‘Network of Practice’ (NoP) is one of Ghana’s strategies to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the primary care level.
The NoP is a strategic initiative of practical operationalization of interconnectedness of public and private healthcare practitioners and facilities together to enhance access to quality health services for all.
As a government initiative implemented by the GHS with support from the World Bank, the NoP aligned with the Service’s commitment to achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Speaking at the launch of the NoP at Yagaba, Dr Sulemana explained that the NoP involved the creation of network of health facilities within a defined geographical area to provide comprehensive and coordinated healthcare services.
The launch was on the theme: “Achieving Universal Health Coverage through the effective implementation of the network of practice strategy, the role of stakeholders.”
It brought together health professionals, Assembly members, traditional and religious leaders, members of the District Health Management Committee, officials from the Mamprugu Moagduri District Assembly and the National Ambulance Service among others.
Dr Sulemana said as the Service inched towards the attainment of the UHC, there was the need for all nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Health Assembly (WHA) to initiate practical primary health care strategies to drive the successful attainment of the vision.
For a successful implementation of the NoP, Dr Sulemana said management of the Health Directorate mapped and created two networks of practice, namely the Kubori and Yezesi networks.
He said the Kubori Network was made of the Kubori Polyclinic as a hub, the Yagaba Health Centre, Loagri Fame Health Centre, Soo, Namoo, Kubugu, Kpatorigu and Prima Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) as ‘spokes.’
The Yezesi network comprised the Yezesi Health Centre as the hub, while the Nangrumah, Yigpabongo and the Tantala CHPS would be ‘spokes.’
“These networks are to coordinate their activities to deliver quality healthcare to the people of Mamprugu Moagduri. It is worth stating that we are working assiduously to bring on board the Kunkwa network,” Dr Sulemana said.
He said the networks were created around the hubs, which would soon be upgraded to Model Health Centres (MoHCs), noting that “As we upgrade the health centres to attain the status of MoHC, the networks shall have the flexibility to manage and share available resources within and outside the NoP.”
The Director acknowledged that the NoP could not be successfully implemented without the continuous involvement and commitment of stakeholders and urged them to continue to help strengthen healthcare in the district.
Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the North East Regional Director of the GHS, in a speech delivered on his behalf, said the NoP was adopted as a strategy to enhance the sub-district level service provision to decongest the hospitals and improve the quantity and draw quality healthcare services to every Ghanaian.
He said the NoP was piloted in two sub-districts in each District across the six Districts in the Region, adding that hospitals would provide clinical outreaches and supportive supervision including mentoring for the networks as a way of continuous professional development.
He said the NoP came with Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs) that must be met by all facilities within each network to qualify for funds from the World Bank.
“Therefore, I urge all hubs and ‘spokes’ within each network to pay particular attention to the DLIs to enable us to continue receiving funding support for our facilities,” he said.
Dr Abubakari said it was the expectation of the Service that the networks would work together and build stronger collaboration with the communities within the network to improve the quality of care.
GNA