National Ambulance Service, Ghana Health Service strengthens public relations roles

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has joined key health sector stakeholders in reviewing draft job descriptions for public relations professionals as part of efforts to clarify professional responsibilities and strengthen the role of communication in healthcare delivery.

The exercise, organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was held on Tuesday at the GHS Conference Centre in Pantang, Accra. It also covered job descriptions for exit nursing grades and midwife specialists.

NAS was represented by its Principal Public Relations Manager, Kofi Dankwah Manu, who contributed to discussions on the draft job description for public relations professionals.

Stakeholders examined the proposed document and provided technical input to ensure the responsibilities, qualifications, competencies and service delivery requirements of the respective professional groups.

In her welcome remarks, the Deputy Director-General of GHS, Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah, urged participants to engage actively and make meaningful contributions towards completing the exercise.

The Director of the Human Resource Development Division (HRDD) of GHS, Peter Obiri-Yeboah, highlighted the importance of public relations in the health sector and called for the function to be elevated to directorate status to strengthen its institutional recognition and standing.

Participants were subsequently divided into three work streams to review the respective draft job descriptions and recommend amendments to improve their clarity, completeness and alignment with professional expectations.

At the close of the meeting, the Director-General of GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, called for adequate resources to strengthen the Service’s Public Relations team and improve the quality and effectiveness of its work.

He also stressed the need to establish a GHS institute to support the development of a highly skilled workforce capable of responding to the changing demands of the health sector.

Dr Akoriyea further called for a mindset change and a renewed approach to addressing challenges in the health system, emphasising the importance of building professional capacity, strengthening institutional structures and developing a workforce that can contribute effectively to improved healthcare delivery.

NAS’s participation in the exercise reflects the importance of collaboration among health sector institutions in strengthening professional standards, clarifying job responsibilities and promoting effective Public Relations practice across Ghana’s healthcare system.