Ghana Health Service launched in the Eastern Region

Mr Gustav Dometey, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, on Thursday said health professionals would be put to the test under the Ghana Health Service(GHS) to ensure that malpractices were eliminated.

He mentioned illegal charges in consulting rooms, laboratories and other departments some of such malpractices.

Addressing the regional launching of the GHS, Mr Dormetey said the launching of GHS would only be meaningful if it ushered in a new work ethic that was client-focused, result-oriented and affordable.

He appealed to health workers to focus on the mission of their new mandate in the performance of their duties since a lot more searchlight would be focused on their performance.

Mr Dometey acknowledged that the GHS had been bedevilled by many problems including the lack of adequate equipment, poor motivation and these impacted negatively on their performances.

He said it was in recognition of this fact that the government initiated moves to re-structure the health sector in addition to creating an enabling environment to enable them achieve a significant reduction in the rate of child and maternal mortality and the efficient and effective management of the health system.

Mr Dometey assured health workers of government's efforts to improve upon their conditions of service and appealed to them to stay in the country and to help develop it.

Dr Deborah Cubagee, a Director of the GHS, said the relevance of the Service more than ever was being called into question and appealed to her colleagues to resolve to redeem the image of the service.

She asked them to comply with a new charter on patients' rights by treating patients in a manner that affirmed their human worth.

The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr. Oti Boateng, called for the building of a new Eastern Regional Hospital to cater for the needs of the growing population in the region.

He stressed the need for the GHS to be developed into a holistic entity capable of delivering an optimal health care within the national resource constraints through a blend of both orthodox medicine and alternative therapies.

Daasebre Boateng asked the government to consider both the manufacturing of generic drugs in the country as well as promoting herbal medicine for export to earn foreign exchange for the country.