NGO challenges transfer of Dr. Awoonor-Williams

Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health has challenged what it considers as questionable transfer of Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams, by the immediate past Minister for Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah.

To them, the transfer is a blatant disregard for the Public Service Commission and a threat to quality healthcare delivery in the Northern and Upper East Regions.

The transfer of Dr. Awoonor-Williams followed the retirement of the Northern Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Akwsi Twumasi, which created a vacant position for his replacement.

Subsequently, his Deputy in charge of Public Health, Dr. Jacob Mahama and Dr. Kofi Issah and five other persons were shortlisted to go through interview processes to find a replacement for the retired Director.

After the entire processes by the PSC, Dr. Kofi Issah was considered the most qualified for the job and this was communicated in a letter dated January 30, 2015, with reference number AC/ 22/184/01A signed by one Michael Owusu-Nimako, Secretary to the Commission.

The letter stated that the appointment was authorized by President John Dramani Mahama in consultation with the PSC and advice of the governing council of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) which was to take immediate effect.

The Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, in a signed letter dated February 6, 2015, reference number GHS /DGS/N.1, duly informed the Northern Regional Minister about the appointment of Dr. Kofi Issah to the region and appealed to the minister to accord him Dr. Issah the necessary courtesies.

Subsequently, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of the GHS, under who Dr. Kofi Issah worked, was also served a copy of a letter from the Director-General with reference number GHS/HRD/CD/C18, dated February 6, 2015.

Following from theses correspondences, a handing-over ceremony was scheduled for February 9, 2015, at the regional health directorate to enable Dr. Akwasi Twumasi proceed on his mandatory retirement. In what was described as administrative challenges, the handing over ceremony was rescheduled to Thursday, February 11, 2015.

However, some foot soldiers of the ruling National Democratic Congress allegedly kicked against the appointment of Dr. Issah to become the next regional director. Rather, they demanded Dr. Jacob Mahama be made to oversee the Northern Region.

As they have always succeeded in their demands, their request was granted in a compromising reaction, the Minister of Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, in a letter dated February 10, 2015, asked that Dr. Kofi Issah rather took over from Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams as Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service while Dr. Jacob Mahama was directed to take over the Northern Regional directorate in an acting position.

Against this background, the Upper East Regional chapter of the Ghana Coalition in NGOs Health, on Wednesday, condemned the manipulations behind the transfer and called on President Mahama to as a matter of urgency intervene to reverse these ill-informed decisions to protect and promote professionalism and institutional integrity of the Ghana Health Service.

According to the coalition members, if nothing was done to stop the implementation of these decisions there would be dire consequences to quality health care delivery in the two regions. They emphasized that they were not against the coming of Dr. Kofi Issah to the Upper East region as regional Director.

“In fact, we do not have the mandate to do so, but as quality health service advocates we owe it a duty to Ghanaians to ensure proper procedures are followed so that quality of health service delivery is not compromised”, they stated.

Addressing the reporters in Bolgatanga, Mr. Abagmbire Adua Thomas, Upper East Regional Secretary for Ghana Coalition Of NGOs in Health, called on President Mahama to ensure that the recommendations of the Public Service Commission (Dr. Kofi Issah) emerged the winner of the interview it conducted to fill the vacant position of the Northern Regional Director of Health Service were accepted and implemented.

They also wanted the president to stop the sudden re-assignment of Dr. Awoonor-Williams from the Upper East Region to the Ministry of Health headquartered Accra.