GRi Parliament 19-03-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March

Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Minister of Health, on Thursday stated that under the ministry's procurement plan, the Central and other medical stores will be re-structured.

The aim, he said, is to get the stores to operate on business lines and to minimise shortages and wastage.

Mr Donkor made the disclosure in Parliament when he moved the motion for the approval of 324.897 billion cedis as this year's budget estimate for the ministry.

The house approved the estimates after the usual debate. 

The minister said small-sized district medical stores would continue to be established, while minor works started on 10 such stores last year will be extended to cover 35 others.

Mr Donkor said there would be an increase in the coverage of reproductive health services this year.

For instance, he said, ante-natal care coverage would shoot from 85 per cent last year to 95 per cent; supervised delivery, from 52 per cent to 60 per cent; and family planning, from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.

In addition, the Minister stated that coverage of "fully immunised children" would increase from 55 per cent to 65 per cent.

Mr Donkor announced that a total of 61 health centres will be rehabilitated and equipped, while 15 new ones will be constructed.

Work on the upgrading of 15 centres that were initiated in 1997 will continue, while four polyclinics will be rehabilitated, he said.

On regional and district hospitals, the Minister said six regional and 37 district hospitals will, in addition to two psychiatric hospitals, be "put in good shape".

He assured the house that, work on the Sunyani Hospital would be completed by the end of 2000.

The Ho regional hospital, which has been completed, would enhance referral services in the Volta Region.

On Public Health Services, Mr Donkor stated that one of the main sector priorities is to expand and improve the quality of basic health services to deal with priority health problems.

The Ministry will, in addition, continue to strengthen the preparedness of districts to deal with district public health concerns, particularly for epidemics like cholera, cerebro-spinal meningitis, and yellow fever, he said.

On institutional reforms, he declared that the Ghana Health Service will be operational this year, and said the key appointments will be made and the management systems put in place.

He expressed the hope that the setting up of the Ghana Health Service Council will speed up the service's operation.  

The Minister said autonomy would be given to boards of teaching hospitals, in order to improve management and quality of care systems.

Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Chairman of the Parliamentary select committee on Health, outlined the Ministry's set goals for the year 2001, which he said, would hopefully, among other things, increase geographical and financial access to health services for all Ghanaians, and the overall resources in the health sector.

It would also ensure equitable and efficient resource distribution.

Mr Sallas-Mensah, who is also Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim, said the ministry is committed to ensure that the operation of the Health Service is accelerated.

The country's three teaching hospitals, namely, Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye and Tamale, will not only be functionally autonomous, but will also improve their services delivery.

Contributing to the debate for the approval of the motion, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minority Spokesman on Health, urged the ministry to hold the expenditure on the Ghana Health Service in check to motivate health professionals to stay in the country and remain in the service.

On the Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Addo-Kufuor said the time has come for the pilot project on the scheme to receive national attention so that "this important national programme can move forward".

Too many promises, if not carried out, diminish credibility, he said and advised the Ministry to set fewer priorities in future, so that it will have a greater chance of achieving targets.

Mr Modestus Yawo Ahiable, NDC-Ketu North, urged the ministry to act swiftly in future to curtail the numerous industrial actions that have plagued it.

He called for the intensification of the ministry's outreach programmes to help prevent, rather than cure, the numerous diseases in rural communities.

Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, NPP-Mpraeso said the cash-and-carry system should be reviewed.

Mr Sampson Kwadwo Apraku, NDC-Krachi, appealed to the ministry to provide incentives to motivate newly trained nurses to accept postings to rural communities.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, NPP-Sunyani West, said for the proposed health insurance scheme to achieve the desired impact, health services should be made more affordable to the majority of the people.

Dr Richard Winfred Anane, NPP-Bantama, said the ministry's mission of making basic health care services universally accessible to Ghanaians could only be achieved if conditions of service of health workers were considerably  improved.

Reacting to a sentiment expressed by Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Minority Leader, the Minister admitted that resource management is one of the most serious problems facing the ministry and assured the house that the issue is being seriously addressed to avoid waste.

Winding up, Mr Nuamah Donkor expressed his appreciation to members for their contributions, and assured the house that the sentiments expressed would be carefully considered.