The Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE) needs to be strengthened and be made to focused on demand driven initiatives in order to provide products to meet local needs.
Dr Kwadwo Ameyaw Korsah, Head of the Department of Adult Health, School of Nursing, University of Ghana said institutions such as AITI-KACE, the departments of Computer Sciences of the nation’s universities are challenged to produce the needed ICT professionals for the country.
He observed that these departments and responsible public institutions should be made centres of excellence, to enable them be at the forefront of developing innovative ideas for the efficient utilisation of ICT infrastructure in the area of healthcare delivery, distance education and virtual laboratories for teaching and research.
Dr Korsah was speaking in Accra during a panel discussion on the topic “Capacity Enhancement for Health Care Professionals: The Role of ICT” at the 67th New Year School and Conference on the theme “Promoting Universal Health for Sustainable Development in Ghana: Is the Information, Communication and Technology the Game Changer”.
He said the academic environment in such institutions should therefore, be made attractive in order to attract ICT specialists.
He said ICTs could support capacity building of healthcare workers/professionals and deliver important developments in their efficiency and output.
“It is also important to note that the government alone cannot find investment capital for the development and this calls for private sector support and investment in the ICT industry,” Dr Korsah said.
“Industry and financial leaders from Ghana and the Diaspora community could be invited by the responsible sector ministries to provide the industry’s view point for the ICT development strategies from time to time and to discuss how the business community can lead in creating business environment to encourage entrepreneurship. Our banks should be re-orientated towards this new paradigm.”
He said the role of civil society organisations in capacity building and societal application of ICT is crucial and cannot be downplayed.
He noted that there should also be a programme that aims at creating and promoting innovative and sustainable business models that would address the needs of e-health, rural communication infrastructure, e-commerce, e-learning and education.
He urged the media to continue to play its role as the watch-dog, disseminator of policies and programmes and to offer constructive criticisms where and when due.
“Conscious effort is needed to sell Ghana as a safe haven for investors other than focusing on political and anti-development issues.
“Ghanaians and foreigners who are contributing to ICT development in diverse ways need to be commended and their experiences shared,” he stated.
Dr Korsah said it is essential when healthcare professionals are exposed to the latest knowledge in ICT.
‘It may be noted that countries that have employed ICT in their healthcare delivery system are accomplishing a general improvement in the 21st century skills readiness for their people.
‘ICT has come to stay and we need to utilise it to the full in our healthcare delivery system to improve quality of care of our “customers.”
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