Health Workers Commend Gov’t

THE ASSOCIATION of Health Services Administration, Ghana (AHSAG) has commended government for improving salaries in the health sector.

To this end, the association has appealed to all health workers to reciprocate government's gesture by increasing productivity and improving their attitude to work.

These were contained in a communiqué issued by the association after its four-day 31st annual general meeting at Koforidua recently.

AHSAG noted that while commending government steps must also be taken to address any existing problem expeditiously.

According to the association the health sector was a dynamic and complex one and with the expansion of services, enlightenment of clientele about their rights and responsibilities as enshrined in the Patient Charter, increased utilization of service as a result of the National Health Insurance Scheme and under-funding, management of the health sector has become more challenging.

It therefore called on the Ministry of Health to commit the necessary funding for staff training and development because health managers need to develop their managerial competences and skills adequately to cope with the challenges.

The association expressed concern about the shortcomings in the district health management system due to the absence of certain key health professionals, notably pharmacists and health service administrators, and recommended the appointment of pharmacists and health service administrators at all district health directorates in the country.

The association described as worrisome the current situation where medical doctors on one side and other health workers on the other side were pitching against each other in negotiating for better conditions of service.

“We therefore recommend a unified workforce to promote better industrial relation and minimize the rampant industrial unrest in the health sector”.

The association noted with concern certain key challenges that could negate the gains of the National Insurance Health Scheme if not properly managed and named these key challenges as the undue delay in reimbursement to service providers, delay in issuing membership cards to registered members and fraudulent practices by some service providers.

The association observed that the current Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospital Act 525 of 1996 does not promote a continuum of health care delivery in the country, in the sense that the teaching hospitals are not part of the Ghana Health Service.

This situation, according to the association, had created and continues to create unhealthy rivalry between the teaching hospitals and the Ghana Health Service.

It indicated that the Ministry of Health's decision to promote a unitary health service in the country was commendable and “should therefore be pursued relentlessly”.

The meeting was held under the theme “50 years of health service administration and management in Ghana: Achievements, challenges and prospects”.
By James S.A. Kwashie