GOVERNMENT HAS SHOWN COMMITMENT TO ENSURE QUALITY HEALTHCARE DELIVERY - AHAFO REGIONAL MINISTER.

The Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr George Yaw Boakye, has reiterated government's commitment to enhance effective and quality health care accessibility and delivery in the country, especially the newly created regions.

According to him, the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) has done massive infrastructure on health, trained and posted more health professionals, ensured the welfare of workers and provided materials and logistics to health facilities.

He stressed that Government is very determined to increase access and affordable quality diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines through the implementation of the Agenda 111 projects. 

Mr Yaw Boakye stated these on Thursday at the Ahafo Regional Mid - Year Health Sector Performance Review Meeting for 2023 held at Goaso, the regional capital.

Performance review meetings provides the GHS, and partners with the golden opportunity to come face to face with their stakeholders to assess

their performance, identify service gaps and devise strategies to address them. 

The meeting was dubbed, " leading and mentoring for improved results, the journey of Ahafo Region so far" with a call on all stakeholder institutions to partner the Regional Health Service to provide quality healthcare.

It was attended by traditional authorities, government officials, Journalists, public and private health institutions, partners and collaborators of GHS in Ahafo region, the clergy and a section of the public among others.

He congratulated the pioneer Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS), Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye - Boateng and his Senior Management Team for the numerous achievements chalked in the midst of all the challenges they have faced as a new region. 

The Regional Minister said even though Ahafo is amongst the new regions and the smallest region in Ghana, it has a pride of place in the country in all health - related matters per leadership, innovation and performance.

"This is a time for continued effective leadership laced with the culture of mentoring that ensures the next crop of leaders imbued with the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to deal with the emerging and re - emerging issues of the healthcare delivery system" he noted.

Mr Yaw Boakye thanked the GHS for attaching a Mentor to each of the six new regions to enhance the capacity of the newly appointed RDHS and Senior Managers saying that I hope it will go a long way to develop the capacities of all Health Mangers. 

The Regional Minister commended the Regional and District Health Management Teams for reducing Neonatal Mortality rate, Stillbirth rate and the Percentage of Supervised delivery of 66.7% which exceeded the national target of 65%. 

He indicated that the region, during the period under review, also performed very well per indicators for Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV and Malaria. Notably, for the period under review recorded no under 5 years malaria deaths.

Mr Yaw Boakye expressed worry that the Region’s “Zero Tolerance for Maternal Deaths”, in the period under review saw a very abysmal performance of 10 maternal deaths by mid - year 2023 compared to 3 maternal deaths during the same review period in 2022. 

"The Regional Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Taskforce needs to up its game to address this problem of maternal deaths in the region"

"The decline in the Family Planning Acceptor rate from 51.3% to 45.2% needs attention especially in the Asutifi North District with a performance of 28.1%" he emphasised.

Mr Yaw Boakye noted that the poor Measles Rubella 2 coverage of 80% compared to 93.9% in 2022 leaves much to be desired in the context of some regions in the country having measles outbreak during the period under review.

"Mr. Chairman, the Government is currently constructing a two - storey building at Hwidiem to serve as the permanent office accommodation for the Ahafo RHD. The work was stalled, but a new contractor has been assigned to complete the project" he disclosed.

The Regional Minister said Government is determined to mobilize additional funds to construct the Ahafo Regional Medical Stores to ensure the storage of Medicines, Non - medicines and vaccines for onward distribution to all health facilities in the region. 

Mr Yaw Boakye said he was aware of the challenges faced by health workers in providing essential health services to the people of Ahafo Region, assuring that the Regional Coordinating Council will do everything within our means to support you to carry out your mandate.

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