A Dishonest Health Minister 

Hi Kweku Agyeman Manu,
Greetings from Binduri.
I understand you are having a field day in Berlin where you are currently attending the World Health Summit. You were asked to deliver a speech on the challenges in achieving universal health coverage in Ghana and instead of sticking to the topic; you chose to attack the erstwhile Mills/Mahama regime that they mismanaged the governance of the health sector for appointing 7 Ministers in 8 years. Mr. Minister, these are stories; stories which should only be told to children on the TV program "Tales by Moonlight."

You disgraced yourself there and I don't know why you decided to disgrace yourself there like a teenager that has suddenly found the keys to the liquor cabinet; pedestrian talks without substance.

In the NDC, we believe and celebrate competence, we also believe in giving our appointees new job challenges, the reasons for our numerous reshuffles. It's also worth pointing to you that a person of your ilk lacks all it takes to be a Health Minister in any NDC government; not in the past and the not too distant future. You are such a clueless, visionless, compromised and overpaid tap dancer who prefers talking more and doing less. You can't even handle common hospital beds challenges which claimed several innocent lives. The NHIS is also on its knees, so weak to the extent that the scheme cannot even afford common ribbons to print new cards.

Upon the numerous reshuffles you lamented about, the Health Ministers in the erstwhile NDC government are the best things that have ever happened to Ghanaians, they're unmatched in delivering their mandates, they initiated and completed numerous health facilities for us as a nation. As fate would have it, your NPP's government complete lack of tangible achievements despite the heavy borrowing,is shedding further light on the magnitude of achievement chalked by the erstwhile Mills/Mahama regime. Last week, you visited 5 polyclinics at Oduman, Ashaiman, Bortianor, Adentan and Sege, built with 13.5 million Euros secured by President Mahama in June, 2016.

Since you became a Health Minister you've commissioned many health facilities which were initiated by the previous government and many others have been completed which you are deliberately refusing to commission them because the previous government would be given due credit.

Pearls are not for the swines but I will educate you on a number of Health interventions chalked by Mills/Mahama in case you are ignorant.

Our Health sector is better today because of the NDC. A few months earlier, you were in the central to commission 10 polyclinics built by President Mahama.This begs the question as to what exactly President Akufo-Addo has to show in the Health Sector? Absolutely nothing!

On health delivery the Mills/Mahama government tackled the following :

• Eleven (11) lifts for Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

• Two (2) lifts for Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital

• Commissioned and completed Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ridge Hospital & Wa Regional Hospital.

•Bolgatanga Regional Hospital was redeveloped and is currently under construction. A Regional Hospital was also initiated in Ashanti region.

• Completed five polyclinics in the Northern Region

• Successful containment of cerebrospinal spinal meningitis (CSM) and H1N1 flu

• Delivered six buses to health training schools in BA, UER and UWR

• Laid nine (9) major health bills in Cabinet including the NHIS Bill for one-time premium payment

• Sod-cutting for the construction of additional 500 bed facility at the 37 Military Hospital to enhance status as National Emergency Health Centre. Another Military Hospital was started in Afari in kumasi.

• Installation of MRI at 37 Military Hospital for effective health delivery

• Currently, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) has 24 fully functioning ambulance stations distributed across the country. The erstwhile Mahama regime planned to scale up and expand service to cover all district capitals

• Training of 400 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

• The National Ambulance Service bill was laid before parliament for consideration.

• The Work of the NAS was recognized by World Health Organization (WHO) and therefore, was captured in its success story book entitled: _“Strengthening care for the injured: success stories and lessons learnt around the world”._

• DNA Laboratory at KBTH was initiated and completed.

• Refurbishment of the Tower section of the Medical Block in KBTH

• Expansion of the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre at KBTH

• A new Reproductive Health Centre at KBTH
The following abandoned projects in Accra-Tema Metropolis were reactivated in 2009 for completion

• Usher Polyclinic Theatre completed
• Maternity Block at Achimota Hospital which was also completed.

•Upgrading of Maamobi, Kaneshie and Mamprobi Polyclinics.

• A maternity and children’s block at Tema General Hospital was constructed.

• Construction for the major rehabilitation and upgrading of Tamale Teaching Hospital was done.

• Statutory approval was sought for re-equipment of 13 laundry facilities in selected nationwide hospitals

• Expansion of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at KATH and KBTH

• Construction of Blood Transfusion Centers
• Projects launched for 8 numbers Ghana Hospital project with funding from Eurogetde-Invest S.A. for the development of 2 Regional Hospitals and staff housing at Wa and Kumasi.

• Five (5) new Health Centers nationwide and 3 District Hospitals with Abu Dhabi OPEC funding respectively were constructed.

• Registered over 15,555,816 members on NHIS as at 30th June 2010, representing 66.4% of the population.

Many other projects were also initiated. Former NDC Health Ministers has nothing to regret; they left behind an impeccable record which is still unbearable.

Mr. Unfortunate Minister, next time you choose to attack, make sure is against the 'gods' with clay feet else you end up dancing naked in the eyes of the intelligent public.

Clueless be what? Hmmmm change has come indeed and I'm really gritting my teeth and shaking my damned head in utmost disbelief.

_Assibid Dauda._
_The Binduri Youth_ _Activist._