Health facilities told to make judicious use of IGF

Kumasi, June 11, GNA - Mr Joseph Yileh Chireh, Health Minister, has charged public health institutions to make judicious use of internally generated funds (IGF) by channelling them into the procurement of essential equipment.

It is important for the boards and management to use internal funds to fix broken down equipment instead of waiting on the central government to provide financial resources to undertake such works.

Mr Chireh said this when he swore into office the new Board Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr Louis Bartels Charles des Bordes, and the Director of Pharmacy, Mr Anthony Kofi Mensah, another Board Member, in Kumasi on Friday.

Dr des Bordes, an International Consultant of Oral Health, succeeds Dr Kwaku Agyeman Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister. Mr Chireh identified resource and time management as the main challenges facing the Ministry and said if these were dealt with appropriately, the sector would achieve significant improvement in the quality of service delivery.

The government, he said, was seeking external funding to replace obsolete equipment in the hospitals and training institutions to enhance performance.

He underlined the need for the facilities to ensure a strict maintenance regime.

Dr des Bordes thanked the government for the confidence and pledged to bring his vast experience in medical practice to bear on the management of the hospital.

He called for cooperation to enable KATH to achieve its goals. Dr Ohene Adjei, the Chief Executive, said KATH was poised to become a centre of excellence and called for support to achieve that vision.