Good health imperative for accelerated devt- Quashigah

Elmina, Mar 14, GNA- The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (RTD), on Monday, said the human resource development of the Ministry was aimed at ensuring a strong, healthy, strong and vibrant national health policy.

Opening a three-day Institutional Review Workshop, organised by his sector Ministry, he said it was also focussed on access to quality health for the people in fulfilment of the government's second term development programme: dubbed "Positive Change Chapter Two".

The workshop is geared towards evaluating the performance and mandate of the Ministry, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other agencies in the health sector and allied agencies like Food and Drugs Board and Ghana Standards Boards.

Major Quashigah said human resource development called for health a system that was responsive to the need of the people.

"It is for you to show dedication, commitment, hard work and sacrifice in the true spirit of the ethics of your profession to the benefit and admiration of all Ghanaians everywhere", he said. The Head of the Civil Service, Dr Alex Glover-Quartey, expressed concern that many doctors in the country were "scrambling for administrative positions, at a time when the country needs more doctors in the consulting rooms". Ms Salimata Abdul- Salam, acting Chief Director of the Ministry, said some key achievements in the health sector included the strengthening of the Ghana Ambulance Services, the establishment of the National Health Insurance Council, and strategies to curb the brain-drain of personnel. She said ambiguity in the role of the Ministry and the GHS in regard to training, procurement and information management was a setback.

During an open forum, some of the participants, expressed concern about the usurpation of the roles of the GHS as a health implementation agency by the Ministry.