Select Committee on Health begins two-day workshop

Star- Ghana, a multi-donor pooled organisation on Saturday began a two-day orientation workshop for members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health in Koforidua.

The workshop is to support the induction of the committee and to develop a two-year work plan outlining the key priorities for members.

Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Chairman of the Committee, said the purpose of the induction was to provide the members of parliament (MPs) with an overview of the Ghanaian health sector in terms of system and structure to facilitate health delivery.

“A relative objective is to explore with the committee, opportunities for collaborating with civil society to ensure equitable and responsive service delivery especially for the vulnerable,” he said.

Mr Yieleh Chireh expressed worry about the high maternal mortality rate in Ghana, which he partly blamed on lack of resources to provide more community health and planning services compounds in the rural areas.

He said the committee would, therefore, monitor closely how the few resources allocated to the ministry of health are used to help reduce the incidence of maternal mortality.

Ibrahim Tanko, Programme Manager of Star- Ghana, said the organisation had developed a strategy to guide its work with Parliament and contribute to the achievement of the programme’s overall goal and purpose.

He said the strategy was premised on the importance of strengthening Parliament’s role as a key oversight institution as well as a representation body for constituency groups and civil society organisations.

“It also reflects its role as a key accountability institution and as a critical venue for bringing together the executive, elected legislators and citizens groups,” he said.

Mr Tanko said following the inauguration of the sixth Parliament, Star-Ghana had started engaging with Parliament towards the full implementation of its strategy.

“This includes the identification of 10 committees of Parliament for support namely, Select Committees of Education, Health, Mines and Energy, Local Government, Gender, Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Public Account, Finance, Government Assurance and Special Budget.”