Conference of the National Catholic Health Services opens

Takoradi, Oct 15, GNA- Dr Yao Yeboah, Executive Director of Pentecost Social Services, said on Wednesday that Ghana could well manage its health sector if roles and functions are well defined and the state encourages all stakeholders to play their parts well. Dr Yeboah was addressing the first National Catholic Health Service (HCHS) conference at Takoradi said the government could afford the risk of attempting to finance and at the same time provide all types of health services to the people.

He said the government should rather concentrate on specific tasks which only government is best placed to perform such as equity and poverty concerns and the provision of public goods.

Dr Yeboah said it is in this light that the government should be commended for the bold step it has taken to foster closer partnership with non-state sector in the provision of health services.

He said the benefit or motivation of partnership is the improved performance or output when parties pool their resources together. He said waste resulting from duplication are minimised if not totally removed and there is division of labour and the concept of comparative advantage is applied.

Dr Yeboah said he was happy that the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and the private sector are seeing each other as partners rather than competitors.

Mr John Mawah, Executive Secretary of the National Catholic Health Service (NCHS), said the church has made strides in enhancing the capacities of the personnel who deliver health services. He said the conference is a demonstration of the resolve of the church to deliberate on various issues that are necessary for catholic health institutions to perform better.

Dr Gilbert Buckle, Executive Secretary of the Department of Health, National Catholic Secretariat, said the primary objective of the conference is to confirm and consolidate a common understanding and interpretation of the policy document of the NCHS.

He said the conference would also discuss the implementation of the policy and efficient implementation of the policy. 15 Oct 03