Teaching Hospital Board Outdoored

Dr Agyemang-Mensah with the board members in a group photograph

he Minister of Health, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, has inaugurated the newly constituted boards of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Accra.

The boards of the two teaching hospitals are expected to provide strategic direction, good governance and sound management practices to support the operations of the two agencies.

Dr Agyemang-Mensah, inaugurating the 12-member board of KBTH and 11-member board of KATH charged the board members to devise innovative ways of mobilising financial resources to sustain and improve the performance of the health sector.

He said the boards of the two institutions were taking office at a time the health sector was going through financial challenges, and therefore, encouraged them to take steps to plug all the leakages in the system to avoid waste and make savings.

The Health Minister also urged the members to handle agitation of health workers professionally and with tact before they get out of hand.

'The success of the agencies in fulfilling their respective mandates therefore depends to a very large extent on your ability to steer their affairs,' Dr Agyemang-Mensah said.

The members of the KBTH board are Dr Anthony M. Sallar, Chairman, Henry Atta Paidoo, Ms Perpetual Annang, Kempes Ofosu Ware, Dr Gilbert Buckle, Chief Executive Officer of KBTH, Nurudeen Mohammed, Administrative Director, Madam Victoria Aku Quaye, Director of Nursing Services and Felix De-Corsah Eduful, Director of Finance.

Others are Madam Jennifer Eileen Welbeck, Acting Dean, University of Ghana Medical School, Madam Grace Evangeline Anyele Parkings, Dean, University of Ghana, Dental School, Dr Samuel Asiamah, Medical Director and Madam Elizabeth Bruce, Pharmacist.

The 11 members of the KATH board are Dr Kenneth Dadzie Sagoe, Chairman, Mrs Joanna Appiah-Dwomoh, Dr Peter Boakye-Yiadom, Nana Amampene Boateng Twum II, Isaiah Offeh Gyimah, Chief Administrator, Dr Francis Adu Ababio, Dental School and Dr Baffour Awuah, Medical Director.

The rest are Anthony Kofi Mensah, Director of Pharmacy, Ms Patience Yeboah-Ampong, Director of Nursing Services, Prof Yaw Adu-Sakodie, Dean, School of Science and Elvis Kusi, Director of Finance.

Dr Sallar and Dr Sagoe in their acceptance speeches expressed their gratitude to government for selecting them for the task.

Dr Sallar said the members are fully aware of the onerous responsibilities that they face however, they are confident that with adequate planning, dedication and commitment, they board would weather the storm and make Korle Bu the hospital of choice and an excellent referral centre on the continent.

He said the board would move quickly into action by meeting the CEO and others of the hospital to discuss how to make a difference.

'The vision, strategy and tactics coupled with motivation, necessary controls and needed parameters and guidelines provided by all and sundry will begin to put Korle Bu on the road to greater heights,' he said.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri