Healthy today, healthy tomorrow

As your government we have a responsibility for the healthcare of you – our people –however, more than that for me, how we treat our nation’s sick and infirm is a true reflection of our nations soul.

We are and have always been committed to providing healthcare for all our citizens.

We have a greater vision for Ghana which sees Ghana as providing superior healthcare to the region – becoming the leading pioneer in Healthcare provision in Ecowas.

This vision is based on what we have already accomplished and what we know can be accomplished under our leadership.

Whilst others are good at talking about what can be done – we have spent the last 4 years doing it!

We have modernised existing facilities and built state of the art new hospitals. When completed, these projects will result in the delivery of more than 3400 new hospital beds. Creating 112 000 new direct and indirect jobs These facilities include two teaching hospitals and 3 institutional hospitals.

Countrywide projects

The development has not been centered in Accra alone as many would like you to believe – We have built 4 regional hospitals and 14 district hospitals. This has brought superior healthcare to the regions and a multitude of jobs to those regions as a result.

In addition, as we speak, dozens of polyclinics, health centres and hundreds of CHPS compounds are under construction!

Basic infrastructure is just the start though – we have focused intently on improving equipment, to the tune of 1 billion Cedis, and increasing our personnel capacity – all of which will contribute greatly to the quality and affordability of the service we are able to offer.

Special mention must be made of our National Medical Equipment Replacement Programme, which has ensured the provision of critical diagnostic and treatment equipment for over 150 hospitals nationwide.

While all these numbers may sound impressive, the real impact is truly felt in the health and lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

Our child mortality rate is down 38% and infant mortality down 18%. Our children are receiving quality health care from their very earliest days, creating a solid foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing. This is truly an achievement we can be proud of.

Others talk of making a difference – we deliver…

Yes there are challenges with the NHIS but the truth is it is working and continues to grow, Our people are making use of the service, as evidenced by the increase in the number of claims processed.

We have created an additional 4 Claims Processing Centres nationwide, to manage and upgrade the logistical operations of the scheme, making access, claims and payment easier and more user-friendly for our people.

Protecting the vulnerable

Our most vulnerable people are covered and protected against the cost of basic healthcare with certain groups exempt from paying premiums. These include those under 18, pregnant women, LEAP beneficiaries, the aged, indigents and people in special homes such as the leprosaria and mental health homes.

We support our elderly and those in poverty, 10,000 elderly are enrolled in the EBAN program and 522,000 people now benefit from the LEAP program.

In order to meet the changing needs of our people, we continue to focus on providing access to cutting edge training for our health professionals. The number of health training institutions has increased, with the number of students currently enrolled having increased to 23,000!

In order to reach underserved communities, our national medical outreach programme deploys mobile medical vans to provide medical services and basic health education.

Our success in delivering quality health care to our people has not come about by chance. Rather, it is a result of years of careful planning, strategizing for the future while implementing for today, as we respond to the evolving needs of our people.

This is what we have done so far, and what we will continue to do tomorrow, because we know that a healthy citizenry is a nation’s most valuable asset.

Our promise of quality health care is more than just “talk” – our words, as always, have been borne out by our dedicated action and visible delivery to our people.