Adequate health financing is crucial for quality healthcare delivery

Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, has said proper health financing is crucial for quality health care delivery in the country.

He said because of the limited resources, there is the need for the judicious use of financial resources to help improve the functioning and efficient administration of the health sector.

Dr Salih said this in a speech read on his behalf by Madam Fati Korey, a Deputy Coordinating Director at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, during the 12th Annual Delegates Congress of the Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana held at Wa.

The congress held under the theme: “The Health Accounting Staff in the era of digitalisation towards universal healthcare delivery”, provided the platform to discuss relevant issues affecting the professional development, interest and welfare of the finance and internal audit fraternity in the health sector.

Dr Salih said legislative instruments such as the Public Financial Management Act of 2016 Act 921 and the Public Procurement Act of 2003 Act 663 as amended stand in as guides for financial managers in managing public funds, assets and liabilities.

He said these legislative instruments are mechanisms to protect the public purse by controlling mismanagement and ensuring transparent and accountable distribution, use and application of public funds.

He urged stakeholders to take advantage of the legal frameworks and work in arrangement with the rules and regulations and avoid instances of corrupt practices.

He said digitisation is a concept that contributes to enhancing personnel productivity, facilitating hospital operations, improving the process, quality and ensuring patient safety by integrating technology such as medical devices and smart information system among others.

Dr Osei Kuffour Afreh, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, said the role of accounting personnel in the survival of every organisation cannot not be understated.

He said keeping the relevant books of accounting, strengthening operational procedures, ensuring robust and timely financial report systems, improving financial transparency, ensuring value for money and providing updates and advice to spending officers on existing laws and regulations are some of the duties of the accounting personnel.

The Regional Director said with the dwindling resources in the health sector, there is the urgent need for accounting personnel to begin to explore innovative ways to deliver healthcare to the people in the most efficient manner.

“We cannot afford to continue to process our financial transactions manually if we want to remain competitive”, he said, adding “digitisation has become a topical issue of late and would affect every organisation and individuals directly or indirectly”.

Dr Afreh said with digitisation, many of the roles in accounting by the personnel and internal auditors would reduce and thereby make financial transactions and analysis swift.

He called on accounting personnel to build capacities at all levels to meet the increasing demands for technology and efficiency in financial management for correct data processes.

He said delay for the release of funds for urgent activities as well as poor interpersonal relationships must begin to align with the core values of the health service professionalism and teamwork at all levels.