Health Ministry to assist Sierra Leone improve its health system

Accra, March 17, GNA - Major Courage Quashigah Minister of Health on Monday expressed the ministry's desire to assist Sierra Leone improve its health system after going through 10 years of civil war. He said with the Ghana's three teaching hospitals, health training institutions and College of Physicians and Surgeons offering post graduate courses in the medical field, Ghana would have lot to offer to Sierra Leone and other countries in the sub-region. "We wouldn't like you to rely and pay so much on consultants from outside. We will collaborate with you and offer our expertise and help you revive the condition of your country as well as other neighbours in the sub-region".

Major Quashigah said this when a four-man delegation from Sierra Leone on a study tour called on him in Accra.

The Sierra Leone delegation led by the Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr Saccoh Alex Kabia are on a week's tour to study Ghana's health system and replicate best practices, have first hand information on current ways of meeting health components of the Millennium Development Goals and have a functional Hospital Board Management. Other areas that will be of interest to the delegation would be health the insurance scheme, storage, medication, dialysis and cost recovery, human resources, adequate drugs supply, conditions of service for health workers, occupational health and psychiatry. Ghana's Health Minister said Ghana's health system developed in the interest of the colonial masters but had the biggest hospitals only based in the capital cities but went through reforms. "We then introduce the Community Health Implementation Programmes (CHIPS) which requires that with every eight kilometres radius there should be a health centre manned by at least two nurses to deliver quality health care to people at the community and bring quality health care to the doorsteps of the people".

He briefed the delegation on the establishment of the Ghana Health Service, its role and all about the Cash and Carry, which was replaced with the National Health Insurance Scheme, the new health paradigm, which moved from treatment to prevention of diseases and the introduction of the Regenerative Health and Nutrition programme which was also promoting healthier life styles. Major Quashigah advised the delegation to also consider the area of traditional medicine, which was patronised by about 60 per cent of the population in Ghana. He said the Ministry in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology were training traditional medicine practitioners to be attached to both private and public health institutions.

The four-year programme had its first batch of 11 graduates turning out in 2005 with the second batch expected to complete their internship in November this year. Dr. George Amofa, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Services answered questions on Ghana's maternal health interventions as well as blood transfusion services. Dr Eddie Addai, Director for Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ministry advised the delegation to consider integrating aides into their budgets to ensure effective dialogue and monitoring of activities funded by international donors. Dr Kabia commended the Ghana's Health Ministry for the collaboration in ensuring that Sierra Leone picked up the pieces emanated from the civil war and offer quality health care to the people. "We need to institute reforms and bring new initiatives to revive our health system and we hope what we have learnt from Ghana will go along to help us get to the status in which you are now".