The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has inaugurated the Steering Committee for the National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP) 2025-2029.

This initiative is aimed at strengthening the country’s surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care services, addressing critical gaps in healthcare, and ensuring equitable access to essential health services for all Ghanaians.

The inauguration took place on April 3, 2025, and seeks to tackle persistent challenges in accessing timely, affordable, and safe surgical interventions, particularly in underserved rural areas, which have contributed to preventable deaths and disabilities in the country.

During the event, Akandoh highlighted Ghana’s progress in the healthcare sector while acknowledging the ongoing challenges in delivering life-saving surgical care.

He noted that the NSOAP would serve as a structured framework to address these challenges, integrating surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia services into Ghana's universal health coverage strategy.

“The development of this plan aligns with our broader health sector objectives, ensuring that essential surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia services are integrated into Ghana’s universal health coverage strategy.

“This is a necessary step toward reducing maternal and child mortality, managing trauma cases effectively, and strengthening emergency and critical care services across the country.

“Today, as we inaugurate this Steering Committee, we are entrusting a team of seasoned professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders with the responsibility of leading the implementation of the NSOAP.

“This committee will provide the strategic direction needed to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate our collective efforts in achieving the plan’s objectives. Your role is crucial in ensuring that the policies and interventions outlined in the NSOAP translate into tangible improvements in service delivery, workforce capacity, infrastructure development, and financing for SOA care,” he said.

Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, underscored the importance of the NSOAP in the context of Ghana’s broader vision for universal health care.

He outlined the committee’s crucial responsibility in overseeing the implementation, coordination, and monitoring of the plan.

Alhaji Adam emphasized that the plan was designed to bridge the significant gaps in surgical and obstetric care across the country, particularly in underserved and rural communities, where access to essential services has often been limited.

“I look forward to the deliberations and contributions of this distinguished team as we officially launch this next phase of NSOAP implementation.”

Professor John Nkrumah Mills, Chairman of the NSOAP Implementation Steering Committee, responded to the minister’s remarks by assuring the Ministry and the public that the committee would work diligently to achieve the goals set out in the NSOAP.

He expressed the committee’s commitment to improving surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia management in Ghana and emphasized that the task could not be achieved in isolation.

“We cannot do this alone. All Ghanaians are part of this agenda, and we must work together towards a better Ghana,” Prof Nkrumah Mills said.

He stressed the importance of strategic planning, mobilization, and efficient execution, ensuring that efforts would be focused on the key priorities without wasting time on minor issues.

“We have to start right away, not to rush into implementing any programme but rather to plan, mobilize and strategize such that we make haste by not wasting time on minor issues, but by executing the NSOAP efficiently,” he added.



AM/KA

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