GRi In Parliament 27-01-99

Addo-Kufuor calls for national vision

Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, the Minority Spokesman on Health today said the President's sessional address touched on most of the major sectors and programmes of the government, but it did not spell out a common vision for Ghanaians. 'This was a serious and an unfortunate omission, considering the fact that the Ghanaian society is far from being united,' Dr Addo-Kufuor, who is also Member for Manhyia, said in his contribution to the debate on the sessional address. He said there is no doubt that Ghanaians need for instance, roads, safe water, hospitals and educational facilities, among other things, but "at the present time of our history, what we need more than any of these development items is a common vision, a national vision". He said it is the absence of such a vision that has plunged many nations in the West African sub-region and across Africa into chaos and destruction. "It is the hope of many Ghanaians that the President will conduct the affairs of the state in such a manner as to enable Ghana to escape the terrible fate that has befallen some of our neighbours."

On health, Dr Addo-Kufuor, who is a medical doctor, said it would have been more beneficial for the nation if the sessional address had focused on what he described as "the demoralised and restless health rofessionals" who are either leaving the country due to poor service conditions or organising industrial action to press home their demands. "It might have been more useful if the speech had stated how government intended to stop the flight of 75 per cent of young doctors, who leave the country to other lands within five years after qualification; young men trained at great cost to the nation".

Dr Addo-Kufuor, however, commended the President for committing his government to establishing a post-graduate medical college for Ghana, saying this will help stem the medical brain drain. He said the President spoke of a steady improvement in the health sector, mentioning some successes in attempts to eradicate leprosy, measles, poliomyelitis and guinea worm, among other diseases. "Mr Speaker, these achievements are real. A longer list could have been produced. "But what was overlooked in the address is that given the high calibre of the health professionals produced locally and their excellent performance outside the country where motivation is good, if the government had taken good care of them since 1982, those who have left would have stayed and the situation would have been much better than it is now", he said.

Dr Addo-Kufuor said after 42 years of independence, a country with Ghana's human and material resources should not congratulate itself over such modest achievements. "This is especially so when the average Ghanaian lacks the financial capacity and the clinical facilities to seek adequate treatment when confronted by diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and heart ailments".

" Mr Speaker, there is need for hard work and careful planning and not self congratulation", he said.

Dr Addo-Kufuor told the House that the National Health Insurance Scheme received only an oblique reference in the sessional address, saying that an important pilot scheme in the Eastern Region was not mentioned.

He said given the realities on the ground, implementation of the three types of the health insurance - SSNIT Contributors' scheme, Family Rural-based scheme and the non-profit making Urban Self-Employe Scheme, as a short-term policy will face difficulties. He said he wondered how with a daily minimum wage of 2,000 cedis any meaningful premium can be paid by an average worker or a rural dweller to join the scheme. "Mr Speaker, I support the health insurance scheme but doubt its viability as a short-term policy. It should be made a medium to long-term policy, while the Ministry of Health improves its facilities to provide satisfactory services to the people", Dr Addo-Kufuor said.

On government's policy in 1997, to extend free medical service to the aged and pregnant women and subsidised services for children under five years of age, Dr Addo-Kufuor said the Minority warned that the government did not have the resources for such "blanket and poorly thought out exemptions". "I am therefore not surprised that the Ministry of Health is having difficulties implementing the policy", he said Dr Addo-Kufuor suggested that a more realistic policy to adopt in granting these exemptions is to put in place, with the help of district assemblies , Department of Social Welfare, local chiefs, community leaders and pastors, among others, an effective means-testing scheme to screen those who seek exemptions.

"These blanket exemptions for all pregnant women, children under five years and people over 70 years, regardless of ability to pay and in the face of limited resources were not well thought out and made abuses and inefficiency inevitable", he said. Earlier contributors from the Majority side, including Mr Kosi Kedem, Member for Hohoe South, Alhaji Amadu Ali, Member for Atebubu South and Mrs Rebecca Adotey, Member for Ayawaso West-Wuogon, had hailed the address describing it variously as "thought provoking", "brilliant", "extensive and incisive". Mr Kedem said the address is thought-provoking and provides a vision and a direction for the country.

He commended both the government and the opposition for their effort at building and sustaining a democratic governance adding that from the account in the address there have been moderate gains in the country last year. He mentioned the peace and stability, the downward trend in inflation and the lowered interest rates, and called for the co-operation of all Ghanaians in the effort at national development.

Mr Kedem said, but for the energy crisis, inflation would have been reduced to a single digit from the current 16 per cent. On the Value Added Tax (VAT), he said since the new tax system will substantially improve the country's revenue to facilitate development, Ghanaians should be vigilant and help nip in the bud any attempt at sabotaging it. Alhaji Ali described the presentation as a "brilliant address delivered by somebody with a vision," and commended the government for improving the country's road network to enhance Ghana's socio-economic development.

He said, however, that to give meaning to the "Gateway Programme" aimed at making Ghana a tourist destination, more good roads should be constructed in the cities and urban areas. Alhaji Ali urged the Ministry of Agriculture to effectively address the problem of post-harvest losses if agricultural development is not be hindered. Mrs Adotey said the address is extensive and incisive and covers every facet of Ghanaian life.

She acknowledged that there have been problems in the educational reform programme but said there have also been gains as shown by examination results from 1995 to 1997.

Mr Samuel Oppong, NDC-Agona West, said in most ministries, public boards and corporations, some heads have turned their set-ups into "power houses and empires", adding that they have their own agenda, and their attitude to work is at variance with government policies and programmes.

Mr Oppong suggested that one sure way of changing the negative attitude of those heads is to impress upon them to "have the sense of urgency and commitment".

The member urged Ghanaians bent on frustrating government efforts to stop the practice, and place the national welfare over and above their individual parochial interests. "Let us put self interest last and allow Ghana to reign supreme so that we can enter the next millennium with confidence and hope."

Mr Stephen Kweku Ballado Manu, NPP-Ahafo-Ano South, described the address as a ''ritualistic annual rambling of a tortuous speech'' which did not address problems facing the country. He said the health sector is in crisis in spite of all the good things said about it by the President because the Ministry of Health (MOH) depends heavily on foreign aid. ''Where will the health sector be should they fail us? The sector has no vision if it is hinged on foreign aid''.

Mr Samuel Oppong, NDC-Agona West, on a point of order asked the member to name any African country that does not depend on foreign aid for its health sector. Mr Ballado-Manu explained that Ghana's dependency rate on foreign aid was too high. He said MOH should come out with pragmatic measures for the integration of traditional medicine into the health care delivery for it to complement orthodox medicine as it is done in Nigeria and India.

Alhaji Collins Dauda and Mr Peter Boakye-Ansah, NDC-Asutifi South and Ejura Sekyedumase, respectively, on points of order, said the government recognises the important role of traditional medicine and the MOH has a traditional medicine outfit and a committee is in place to implement its programme.

Mr Ballado Manu replied that ''I am talking about implementation not the establishment of offices''.

The member wanted to know what had happened to the pilot health insurance scheme which the President mentioned in his 1997 sessional address and called on the government to look at the remuneration of all health personnel to avoid strike actions after the increment in doctors' salaries.

Efforts should also be made to eradicate guinea worm, bilharzia and other water-borne diseases from the country.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, NPP-Old Tafo Suame said it was commendable that ministries and departments are now to first purchase their supplies from local industries.

If the government wants to promote made in Ghana goods, it should first start by giving indigenous Ghanaian industrialists like Mr Akenten Appiah-Menka the recognition they deserve. He said the inability of the government to come out with a Youth Policy last year as promised by the President is ''a classic example of non-performance'', adding that the fact that it will come this year is good news for the youth.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that there is no transparency in the sports sector and ''the place is besieged by some shady characters involved in player transfer scandals''. The member said the gravity of the transfer scandal calls for the involvement of all security agencies or the setting up of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry. He said sports lotto operators should also be probed since some of them, though are raking in a lot of profit, they do not pay the ministry its due. When Ms Florence Kumi, NDC-Assin North, who was the last speaker for the day took the floor, her contribution was on Education, since she said it is the only way to develop the country.

Ms Kumi said some critics of the Non-Formal Education Programme wonder why government is still supporting the programme when money is needed to put formal education in shape.

She said the critics are further surprised as to why government is committing the nation's scarce resources in training people who are going to die to the disadvantage of the younger generation.

As a former district organiser of the programme, Ms Kumi said it is wrong for some people to allege that the programme has the adult population as its only target group.

Quoting statistics to buttress her point, she said from 1995 to 1997, the average target group of learners were between the ages of 15 and 44 years and pointed out that for certain people to allege that the Adult Literacy Programme only caters for "people going to die tomorrow" is wrong and uncalled for.