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09.04.2019 Health

Inadequate CHPS Hampering Universal Health Coverage – MPs

Inadequate CHPS Hampering Universal Health Coverage – MPs
09.04.2019 LISTEN

Member of Parliament (MP) for Kade, Kwabena Ohemeng Tinyase, is advocating for more Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds across the country to help make healthcare accessible to all.

He argues that most rural communities lack these CHPS compounds thus making it difficult for pregnant women especially to have safe deliveries.

The legislator was speaking on the floor of parliament to mark the 2019 World Health Day on the theme “Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere.”

He therefore wants government to prioritize its support to the CHPS compounds in a bid to improve primary health care delivery in the country.

“There is a lot to be done in terms of accessibility. In my rural communities, the cry everyday is that we need more CHPS compounds. It is very difficult for most of our maternal mothers to quickly get access to health care in the CHPS compounds. And inasmuch as we are trying to ensure that, each and every individual gets health opportunities everywhere the person is, then the decentralization effort through these compounds is the best we have. I therefore support the view that, we might have to come up with a pragmatic programme to make sure that we have more of these at the very grassroots for people to access.”

Point by Ayawaso West MP

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency and member of the health committee of Parliament, Lydia Seyram also attributed the challenges in providing universal healthcare to the inadequate staffing at CHPS centers across the country.

“The CHPS facilities take care of an average of 5000 people and it is the most decentralised form of healthcare in the country. We have over 6000 CHPS facilities in Ghana. The concept makes healthcare in terms of physical facilities almost universal. The challenge in achieving universal health care now is in the staffing of these facilities and the machinery to enable CHPS centres to be functional and highly efficient service delivery centres.”

We'll partner MOH to achieve universal health coverage – Pharmaceutical Society

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) is ready to partner with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to provide primary health care nationwide.

In a statement to the mark 2019 World Health Day, the society said partnering with the health ministry and the World Health Organization would help towards attaining Universal Health Coverage in Ghana.

The statement said: “As we celebrate the 2019 World Health Day, the PSGH would like to draw attention of all stakeholders in healthcare and the public to the fact that pharmacists are ready to partner the WHO and the Ministry of Health to fully support and participate in primary healthcare for the attainment of universal health coverage in Ghana.”

The group also noted that the pharmacy council is currently working with all pharmaceutical training institutions to raise the qualifications needed to practice in the country.

According to them, this would position pharmacists to offer improved and expanded healthcare services.

“With these developments, the knowledge, skills and competences of pharmacists in the country would be enhanced to position them to offer improved and expanded healthcare services to improve access and ensure universal health coverage through primary healthcare delivery, the statement added.

–citinewsroom

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