By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA
Kumasi, Dec. 10. GNA – A Lecturer at the Centre for Social Policy Studies of the University of Ghana has urged the government to show stronger commitment towards decentralizing the country’s health budget.
Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko said this would ensure timely release of funds and other resources to deal with pressing and emergency health issues at the local and community levels.
Addressing a seminar in Kumasi held to dialogue on the rights to health, she also underlined the need to allocate substantial budgetary allocation to health facilities to promote quality health care delivery, especially in the rural areas.
The seminar was organized by the Agency for Health and Food Security (AHEFS) in collaboration with the Civil Societies Organizations (CSO) Platform on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Three, centred on healthy lives and promoting the wellbeing of all at all ages.
“Ensuring healthy access to quality health services; challenges and prospects” was the theme chosen for the meeting, sponsored by the STAR Ghana Foundation.
The aim was to discuss the state of health in the Ashanti Region and the country as a whole.
Dr. Tsiboe-Darko identified the lack of multi-sectoral approach to vaccination as one of the leading causes of high infant mortality and the outbreak of some diseases in communities.
She highlighted the importance of digitization of all health facilities to make coordination easier in the public health sector.
Dr. Reuben Bedzrah, the Ahafo-Ano South District Director of Health Services, said quality of care and accessibility had improved in the region over the last four years.
This had resulted from the establishment Community Health-based and Planning Services (CHPS) compounds and recruitment of thousands of community health workers, who had been providing primary health care services.
Dr. Bedzrah, however, said infrastructural deficits in many of the facilities and the delay in the reimbursement of National Health Insurance claims continued to remain a challenge.
He called for equitable distribution of health staff in the facilities.
Mr. Ninsau Kwesi Darko-Alakar, Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations on Health (NGOs), complained about the situation where 90 per cent of health professionals were based in the urban areas.
That, he said, was affecting the quality of care for the rural population.
Mr. Kwaku Asante, Executive Director of AHEFS, appealed to companies to adhere to standard safety practices at the work place to help reduce abuse and violation of health rights of employees.
GNA
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