Comment: More room for improvement in the health sector

Read Comments Comments (1)

• POLICY FAILURE ANOTHER 9 years ago

  When Ebenezah Appiah Denkyira was ushered in as the Director General of Ghana Health Service he shocked all and sundry by straight away dismissing two doctors in less than a month of assuming post.What even made the dismissa ...
  read full comment

  When Ebenezah Appiah Denkyira was ushered in as the Director General of Ghana Health Service he shocked all and sundry by straight away dismissing two doctors in less than a month of assuming post.What even made the dismissal of the two doctors a unique failure of an irresponsible reckless act of vindictiveness was the fact that the Director General took the action to cover up corruption in fact criminal in nature that were needlessly killing patients in Effia Nkwanta Hospital.Worse of it is a DG who stoop so low to fabricate a mental illness on colleague doctors(an ewe and a northerner) in sham solidarity with Akan cronies in Effia Nkwanta hospital engaged in filthy corruption that killed patients whiles they heartlessly made their money.It is a dangerous mentality for any DG to man an institution on the bases of nepotism and politics where workers are witch hunted on the bases of tribe and political affiliation.The attitude of Appiah Denkyira made some of us interested in tracking down his records and achievements as the believe was that a competent and a serious minded technocrat interested in fixing problems will not engage in needless vindictive acts of mediocrity.Alas i was right as right from his days in upper west as Regional Health Director through to the ministry of health with nothing significant to show.In fact records show he has been a destructive influence rather than a productive one.Stockpile of health problems currently in upper west is just one of his legacies.I fully agree with the argument at least in the case of Appiah Denkyira that we have a lot of square pegs in round hole in this country.Even utterances by politicians suggest they receive the worse of advise from their technocrats.You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know Ghana's Health problems is as a result of policy failure rather than facilities or beautiful edifices so to speak.What has modern day hospitals got to do with still high morbidity and mortality associated with malaria,high maternal and child deaths including abortion related deaths in teenagers?What has modern facilities got to to do with chronic malnutrition on large scale in some parts of this country like the upper west region?In deed many Growth Charts show children grossly underweight without any intervention despite the numerous expensive workshops at the expense of the Tax Payer on Reproductive and Child Health.This is a typical example of poor capacity building why because these workshops are meant to help train health workers interpret these Charts and put in appropriate intervention(s).In many parts of this country every health worker is basically a medical practitioner largely as a result of ill-regulation or the lack of it.Precious lives have been lost because of this.An example is a student nurse in a District who administered quinine IV in an attempt to terminate pregnancy killing the patient in the process. This is not about modern facilities.This is an indication of clear policy failure with weak monitoring and evaluation systems.The conduct of Appiah Denkyira who sack doctors to cover up corrupt illegalities in Effia Nkwanta hospital is enough evidence of people lobbying for high profile positions in the health sector sometimes bribes paid in the process to only further their personal agenda and parochial interest.They do not see their position as a national call to duty.Key appointments in the health sector just like many other public institutions is now a business in which beneficiaries must exit office with fleets of luxurious cars and mansions whiles petty health problems continue to bewitch the country.Otherwise Appiah Denkyira should not sack doctors to protect others engaged in filthy corruption by dubiously and fraudulently implicating them with a mental illness. The bribery of 50 Ghana cedis which Patient Sakpetey could not pay for blood transfusion that killed her in Effia Nkwanta widely captured in both tradititonal and social media is legendary.This is just one of major rots in that hospital Appiah Denkyira shielded by dismissing the doctors and in so doing brought his credibility and reputation to question.Strong institutions are built by people with strong morals and integrity.Any DG who willfully cover corruption of this magnitude is definitely a corrupt person with a questionable reputation.That is why the case involving the doctors and the Ghana Health Service at the Fast Track High Court should not be gagged up to ascertain the truth in the matter.Criminal elements with vindictive tendencies should not be allowed to punish others in public institutions using their positions under the guise of government organization.Heads of public institutions should be held fully accountable and punished appropriately if need be.This is the only way government can avoid needless judgement debts.

  reply