NPP GOVT AND THE HEALTH SECTOR,UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT - MR.KPODO

The NPP Government introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 to replace the inhumane “cash-and-carry” system under the NDC. The NHIS was first mooted in 1970 by the Progress Party under Professor K.A. Busia who constituted a committee headed by Dr. Konotey Ahulu to study the concept and make appropriate recommendations. The NHIS, which now covers about half the population (11.3 million Ghanaians), provides a vastly more accessible and comprehensive health service unmatched in the history of our country. The NHIS provides free healthcare for children below 18 and the elderly over the age of 70. Over 6 million children and 400,000 elderly are currently benefiting from the service. All pregnant women now have free maternal care. Under the NHIS, HIV positive individuals now receive highly subsidised anti-retroviral medicines.

The introduction of the NHIS has led to a three-fold increase in hospital attendance in some areas. Out Patients Department (OPD) attendance has increased from a yearly average of 0.38 per capita in 2001 to 0.7 per capita in 2007. In areas such as the Brong Ahafo region, OPD attendance has reached the 1.02 mark. More and more people who need to use our health service now have the means to do so under NHIS.

The NPP government has expanded health facilities at a rate unprecedented in our history. In only seven years, our administration has constructed, throughout the country, 205 new hospitals and clinics including 310 key district hospital facilities in Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions. 48 clinics have been upgraded to hospitals and 33 hospitals and clinics have undergone complete rehabilitation. 77 new projects are ongoing throughout the country with 18 to be completed this year. 21 dental facilities have been constructed. A US$339 million project, covering the construction of new regional and district hospitals, has been initiated at Wa, Kumasi South, Manhyia, Konongo-Odumasi, Adenta/Madina, Tepa and Salaga. 6 new polyclinics are being constructed at a cost of €7.6 million at Karaga, Kpandai, Tatale, Buipe, Janga and Chereponi.

The construction of health facilities is matched by massive investment in training health professionals, as shown in the following table:

Intake for Training in: 1999/2000 2006/2007
General Nursing 648 2,434
Community Health Nursing 102 1,841
Midwifery 48 614
Health Assistants (New) 0 964
Others 170 1,212
TOTAL INTAKE 968 7,065

From less than 1,000 in 1999/2000 the intake of health worker trainees had jumped to over 7,000 by 2006/2007. Over a short period of 6 years, Ghana is firmly on the road to producing the required numbers of health manpower for our health institutions.

Doctors and other health workers receive the highest salaries ever paid in this country and are now among the best paid in Africa. The government of the NPP has made significant improvements in the service conditions of doctors and health workers. For the first time in our history, a College of Physicians and Surgeons has been established to provide and supervise post graduate medical training in Ghana. As a result, Ghana today retains 60% of locally trained doctors in contrast to 20% under NDC.

The NPP Government has established a National Ambulance System for the first time in the history of this country to cater for medical emergencies throughout the country.

In the 5 years before 2001, only 51% of all children were fully immunised. This figure had risen to 64.4% by 2006. Guinea worm disease which is a disease of poverty has reduced from over 8,000 in 2003 to 3,358 in 2007 and signs are that we are well on the way to eradication. Ghana was also certified free from polio in 2006 as a result of the strong emphasis in surveillance.

These are all signs that Ghana is on the way to becoming a healthier nation. Within a space of just 8 years, we have managed to stem and turn around the deteriorating health fortunes of this country.

From comparison document:

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME
(P)NDC:1981– 2001(19 YEARS IN POWER)
The (P)NDC in 19 years operated the Cash & Carry system as part of its health delivery policy. Serious illness under the system for many meant mortuary, it needlessly sent hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians to their early graves who couldn't afford to pay, and child and maternal mortality rates were very high.

The NDC 'violently' opposed the introduction of the NHIS, walking out of Parliament rather than voting for the law to bring into effect the NHIS and joining like-minded groups to hold street demonstrations against the scheme.

NPP: 2001 – 2008(8 YEARS IN POWER)
A landmark achievement of the NPP has been the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 to replace the deadly Cash and Carry system. As at June 2008, a total of 11 million Ghanaians accounting for over 50% of the national population have registered into the NHIS and have started benefiting from the scheme.

It provides a vastly more accessible and comprehensive health service unmatched in the history of our country with free healthcare for over 6 million children below 18 and the 400,000 registered elderly over the age of 70. All pregnant women now have free maternal care. Under the NHIS, HIV positive individuals now receive highly subsidised anti-retroviral medicines.

HOSPITALS BUILDING
The (P)NDC in 19 years built three modern Regional Hospitals in Ho, Cape Coast and Sunyani, concentrating access to health services in the urban centres i.e. the regional capitals, which when coupled with its Cash & Carry system denyied access to quality health for many rural people.

Whereas In only seven years, our administration has constructed, throughout the country, 205 new hospitals and clinics including 310 key district hospital facilities in Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions. 48 clinics have been upgraded to hospitals and 33 hospitals and clinics have undergone complete rehabilitation – including massive rehabilitations on the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospitals. 77 new projects are ongoing throughout the country with 18 to be completed this year. 21 dental facilities have been constructed. A US$339 million project, covering the construction of new regional and district hospitals, has been initiated at Wa, Kumasi South, Manhyia, Konongo-Odumasi, Adenta/Madina, Tepa and Salaga. 6 new polyclinics are being constructed at a cost of €7.6 million at Karaga, Kpandai, Tatale, Buipe, Janga and Chereponi.

HEALTH WORKER TRAINING
Under the 19-year (P)NDC rule intake into our health training institutions including the Medical Schools, the Nurses Training Colleges, School of Hygiene and other technical training schools in the field of health stagnated, with no expansion in facilities nor in the number of students admitted.

In only 8 years, the NPP has more than doubled the intake of students and trainees into all of our health training institutions: the Medical Schools, the Nurses Training Colleges, School of Hygiene and other technical training schools in the field of health. In nursing, midwifery and health assistants, training intake has increased seven-fold from 968 in 1999/2000 to 7,065 in 2006/07.The NPP has also established a Medical School in the University of Cape Coast and encouraged the establishment of private Nurses Training institutions in the country to train more nurses. Furthermore, the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons has received a donation of an ultra modern office complex from the NPP led Government.

HEALTH WORKERS SALARIES'
The very low salaries earned by health workers under the 19 year rule of the (P)NDC was a major push factor which sent most of them away into Europe, America and the Gulf region.

Within 8 years under the NPP, the salaries of health workers in Ghana have increased by an average of 500% in dollar terms, stemming the brain drain tide among health workers with Ghana today retaining 60% of locally trained doctors in contrast to 20% under the NDC. Ghana's health workers are now the second best paid in Africa currently only after South Africa. Under the NPP health workers can import cars without duty and taxes. Many of them (including nurses) can now afford to buy brand new cars through hire purchase arrangements. This is unprecedented in Ghana.

VOTE NANA AKUFO-ADDO AND THE NPP FOR A BETTER GHANA AND A BETTER HEALTH SECTOR.VOTE THE NUMBER ONE ON THE BALLOT.