Highlights of health sector activities in 2019
Doreen Andoh Health 6 minutes read
In 2019, the health sector saw a number of interventions and initiatives, both from the public and private sectors.
The sector minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, reiterated throughout 2019 that the government wanted to ensure that every Ghanaian, resident Ghanaian and visitors had access to quality, accessible and affordable health care
irrespective of their socio-economic standing and geographical locations.
He also highlighted the critical role of the private sector and development partners in the government’ s Universal Health Coverage agenda, describing them as a key partner.
The Daily Graphic throws a spotlight on some of the major happenings in the sector in 2019.
Ghana’s medical drone delivery system takes off
On April 25, 2019, the Vice-President, Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, launched the world’s largest medical drone delivery network at Omenako in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The project, dubbed “Fly-To-Save-A-Life,” is a 24-hour health delivery system which is operated by Zipline International from four distribution centres across the country, and would make on-demand delivery of medical supplies to an estimated 2,000 health facilities.
He indicated that the rationale for the initiative was to ensure that essential medical suppliers reached the most vulnerable and difficult to reach communities.
The Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the utilisation of technology in the provision of quality health care for the people was a revolutionary approach to healthcare delivery which would not only lead to saving lives but would also promote efficiency and a significant decrease in wastage in the supply chain system, while increasing access for over 15 million people across the country, particularly for the rural, deprived, remote and hard-to-reach areas and communities.
Revamping of ambulance services
The government placed an order for 307 ambulances in fulfilment of a key election 2016 campaign promise by the New Patriotic Party to provide an ambulance for each constituency and to revamp the National Ambulance Service to improve health delivery.
It took delivery of 211 out of 307 it had purchased in 2019 but they were not distributed.
The delay was received with mixed feelings by the public, which led to the President announcing that the ambulances would be distributed on January 6, 2020 after all pre-requisite conditions such as constituency name embossments, tracking system fixing, for effective operation had been completed.
The Ministry of Health and the National Ambulance Service have requested a postponement of the distribution to January 28, 2020 because some of the preparatory activities had delayed.
Health sector jobs
On Thursday, May 16, Mr Agyeman-Manu announced that the ministry had received clearance to engage 54,892 health professionals when he took his turn at the 2019 meet the press series.
He assured unemployed health professionals that there were plans to engage them, including the backlog of professional graduates from 2012 to 2016 as well as professionals from private institutions.
From 2012 to 2018 a ban was placed on employment for economic reasons which resulted in the huge backlog of unemployed health professionals, particularly, because they had been bonded by the government and, therefore, could not be employed in the private sector as well.
Infrastructure expansion
Five polyclinics were inaugurated to improve primary healthcare delivery and were built at a cost of 13 million euros. They are located at Oduman in the Ga West municipality, Bortianor in the Ga South municipality; Ashaiman in the Ashaiman municipality; Ogbojo in the Adentan municipalities and Ada.
The Minister of Health in 2019 cut the sod for the expansion and total refurbishment of the Tetteh Quashie Memorial Hospital (TQMH) in Mampong into an ultra-modern health facility.
He also cut the sod for the construction of a new district hospital in Aburi at the site of the Kom Presbyterian Clinic to replace the facility, which is said to be the first-ever health facility in the country.
The initiative forms part of a government’s 40 million euro district hospitals project aimed at accelerating Ghana’s efforts at attaining Universal Health Coverage by 2030 in line with the United Nations SDGs.
Under the entire 40 million euro project, four district hospitals are expected to be provided through the replacement, expansion and refurbishment of existing struggling or small health facilities.
No-bed syndrome
In 2019, major public hospitals were hit by shortages of bed to accommodate all patients.
The situation came to light when a 70-year-old man, Prince Anthony Opoku Acheampong, reportedly died in his car at the LEKMA Hospital in Teshie, near Accra after seven hospitals turned him away over claims that there were no beds.
Reports during the period showed that there were only about 3,400 hospital beds in Accra, serving the entire region.
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital had the largest number of 2,000 beds, with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) following with 420 beds.
However, the MoH and its stakeholders worked around the clock to put in some medium-term interventions.
Central Medical Stores
Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu said in 2019 that he would not rest until the 12 people said to be the arsonists behind the Central Medical Stores fire in Tema were prosecuted.
The process, he said, had delayed due to lack of evidence for a successful prosecution because all remains at the site required for a forensic audit had been cleared absolutely.
The Central Medical Stores in Tema, containing every conceivable drug imported into the country before onward distribution to the various regions, was razed by fire on January 13, 2015.
Ghana’s stock of medical supplies that was lost after the fire was estimated at GH¢237 million.
Four years after the fire, prosecution has not been successful; a situation that donor partners such as the Global Fund and US-Aid had expressed worry about.
Reforms
The government said it revamped the National Health Insurance Scheme by paying claims of GH¢2.2 billion accrued since 2017 and also put in place mechanisms to pay claims promptly going forward.
The government said it revamped the National Health Insurance Scheme by paying claims of GH¢2.2 billion accrued since 2017 and also put in place mechanisms to pay claims promptly going forward.
To ensure the efficacy of the scheme, NHIS levies were increased by 20 per cent with effect from April 1, 2019.
An electronic receipt system was also introduced under the scheme in 43 districts and was expected to be adopted nationally by the close of 2019.
Other reforms under the scheme included the electronic renewal system which is facilitating more renewals as indicated by the Ministry of Health.
Medical records
The ministry also developed a National Health Data Centre and an Electronic medical records system to improve bio surveillance and health research to improve healthcare delivery.