Government Committed to Improving Healthcare Delivery in the North-Northern Regional Minister

The Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery, expanding access to quality health services and addressing the welfare concerns of nurses and midwives.

He gave the assurance when the National Executives of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), led by its National President, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, together with the Regional Executives, paid a courtesy call on him at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) in Tamale on Thursday.

Mr John said healthcare remained a key priority of the Government under President John Dramani Mahama, adding that various interventions were being implemented to strengthen the health system and improve conditions for health professionals.

He mentioned the Free Primary Healthcare initiative and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCare, as measures intended to improve access to healthcare and provide support for people with critical health conditions.

The Minister also disclosed that the President had directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to construct at least two Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds annually, with residential accommodation for health personnel.

According to him, the directive was aimed at extending primary healthcare services to rural and underserved communities while addressing accommodation challenges that could affect the retention of health workers in those areas.

Mr John assured the Association of the NRCC’s readiness to work with the various Assemblies to identify and address the welfare concerns of nurses and midwives, particularly issues relating to accommodation and conditions of service.

He commended the GRNMA for its contribution to healthcare delivery and encouraged the Association to maintain engagement with Regional and District authorities to help build an accessible and responsive health system.

For her part, Mrs Ofori-Ampofo thanked the Regional Minister for receiving the delegation and reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to working with government and other stakeholders to improve healthcare delivery.

She said collaboration between the Association and regional authorities was important in addressing challenges facing the health sector, including staffing gaps partly resulting from the migration of trained health professionals.

She therefore appealed to the Minister, as the President’s representative in the region, to support calls for the recruitment of additional health professionals to strengthen the workforce and improve services, particularly in underserved communities.

Mrs Ofori-Ampofo assured the Minister that the Association remained ready to support government initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery and promoting the well-being of people in the Northern Region.

 Faustina Naa Ayele Johnson – ISD