Health ministry reviews activities

Accra, (Greater Accra) 6th May ?99,

Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Minister of Health, said Wednesday that the ministry chalked significant progress in improving health services between 1997 and 1998.

The Minister who was opening a two-day 'summit' meeting between the Ministry and its partner organisations, said during the period, the Ministry increased its access and coverage of health services by constructing new health facilities in under-served districts in addition to rehabilitating existing ones.

The meeting is being attended by 200 health staff and 10 donors, including the British Department for International Development (DFID), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), European Union (EU) and World Health Organisation (WHO).

It forms part of a partnership arrangement reached between the Ministry and donors since 1997 to guide the implementation of the Health Sector Medium Term Strategy and five-year Programme of Action.

It affords the partner organisations the opportunity to review activities during the year and provide guidelines for the future.

Mr Nuamah Donkor listed achievements in the ministry during the past year and said, for example, that the exemption budget for the elderly, pregnant women and children below two years was increased from 3.2 billion cedis in 1997 to seven billion cedis in 1998.

There were, however, setbacks which include the inability of the Ghana Health Service to take off as planned due to some differences with the ministry of local government.

Professor Kenneth Lee, a representative of the donor community who read the review committee's report, asked the ministry of Health to conduct a national strategic review of the roles, functions and expected performance of hospitals for the development of a medium term plan and reform programme.

He said the Ministry should also set up a task force with national, regional and district representation to study the inter-regional differences in hospitals and primary care performances and make recommendations for improvement.