The Minister of Health Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has called for urgent investment in health workforce development, describing it as “the backbone of any resilient health system.”
Speaking at the 2-Day Annual Health Summit held on Tuesday under the theme :”Building a Resilient Health Workforce to Accelerate the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage”the Minister emphasized the need to expand training programs, improve retention of medical staff in rural areas, and ensure better working conditions.
The Minister of Health Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
“We cannot have quality healthcare without motivated, well-trained health workers. Our doctors, nurses, midwives, and community health workers deserve the tools, protection, and opportunities to serve effectively,” the Minister said.
The Juaboso Member of Parliament stressed that Attainment of UHC would be dependent on the motivation of health workers both in urban and rural areas.
Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang
“Health workforce development is not an expense. It is an investment in saving lives. When we train our people and care for our caregivers, the entire nation gets healthier”, Hon Akandoh reiterated.
The Minister explained further that health occupies essential place in government thus the launching of the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) initiative and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, all of which he said are geared towards the attainment of the universal health coverage.
“No country can achieve universal health coverage without adequate health force .UHC is a simple promise that every Ghanaian has access to health care without financial difficulties” the Health Minister stressed.
Hon. Akandoh later re-echoed government’s commitment to health workforce development stating that health workforce is not just a health issue but “economic issue and a productivity issue”
For her part, the Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang called for the strengthening of health facilities and motivation of health professionals stressing that Ghana’s success at the health sector would be dependent on availability of health professionals including community health care Assistants whom she said remains the front line of health care.
She said there was the need for every Chps compound and community health centers to be adequately staffed as government works towards attaining the UHC.
The Vice President later touched on migration of health professional which she said is normal.
She however stressed that “our response must be strategic in strengthening bilateral and migration agreement that seeks to maximize benefits for Ghana and our health professionals”.
Source:www.senaradioonline.com
