Accra Health Committee inaugurated

Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Sheikh Ibrahim C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, on Wednesday said government would welcome new ideas to make the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) more functional to the health needs of Ghanaians.

He said there was no law that could not be amended, and even though the NHIS Bill had been passed government would welcome new ideas that would make the scheme efficient.

Sheikh Quaye was inaugurating the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Health Committee in Accra.

He said the health of the people was paramount and the scheme was to ensure the provision of quality health care was affordable to majority of Ghanaians.

The Regional Minister said government on assumption of office realised the bad situation of the health sector with most of the medical practitioners and nurses leaving, deteriorating health infrastructure, coupled with the high cost of treatment, there was the need to reverse the trend.

He said government had therefore, embarked on a systematic rehabilitation of the hospitals, improve the conditions of service of health personnel, and recently delivered some vehicles to health institutions to facilitate their work.

Sheikh Quaye, however, expressed regret that some of the vehicles delivered to health institutions were being misused, and cautioned Regional and District Health Committees to make sure that the vehicles were put to good use.

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Joyce Tetteh, of the GHS, said the service was committed to providing comprehensive health care for Ghanaians.

He said the service would manage the resources at its disposal to ensure equity, and the increase in the population of the urban towns was a challenge to the health committees.

Dr. K. O. Adadey, Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, said the District Health Committees were to play advisory, advocacy and monitoring roles. 01 Oct. 03.