Quality healthcare critical to national development – Nana Addo

This was contained in a statement delivered on behalf of the President by the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, at the First Graduation and Fourth Matriculation ceremonies of Family Health University College, located at Teshie opposite the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre, Teshie.

The President said government was committed to ensuring that citizens’ right to health are guaranteed through an established health sector with sustainable ability to deliver affordable, equitable, and easily accessible healthcare.

“We will therefore support every effort by private individuals towards capacity-building and increase the number of health professionals and health infrastructure development in the country”.

President Akufo-Addo said globally, there is a growing need for high quality health workforce for healthcare delivery.

He however said the inadequate staff, poor distribution of available staff and the refusal of health professional to accept postings to deprived areas have become a major concern confronting the health sector.

“Though Ghana has made some progress with doctors to population ratio over the years 1: 8,098 in 2017, Nurse to Population ratio of 1: 720 (2017), and Midwife to Population ratio of 1:799 (2017), these statics indicates that with this trend of performance, it will be difficult for the country to achieve the recommended population ratio to health workers by WHO standards”.

He noted that the health sector needs to move beyond the business as usual way of doing things if the country wants to deliver quality and people-centered healthcare service.

He charged the students to help project the image of the health sector, adding that the Ministry expects them to build on core values such as excellence, equity, accountability, confidentiality professionalism and integrity.

The Ministry of Health he indicated is in the process of instituting free post graduate training for all medical officers pursuing specialist programs.

He added further that the Ministry is also in the process of finalizing its Human Resource Policy, the National Health Policy and restructuring of the National Health Insurance Scheme to help ensure an improved quality healthcare to all people living in Ghana.

The President congratulated the founder of Family Health Hospital and the University College, Prof. Kwawukume and Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume, for their enduring vision to provide a comprehensive and quality 24-hour medical care in Ghana, Africa, and beyond.

In his address, the President of Family Health University College, Prof. Enyknam Yao Kwawukume, averred that Family Health University College strives to maintain an improvement in all of its activities, and tasked the students to fully maximize their capabilities and performance whilst they pursue academic work.

“I challenge you to go beyond the accepted performance limit in order to create new opportunities for yourselves; you can achieve excellent performance through continuous learning. I want to see you in the future and be proud of you”.

He entreated them to live a dedicated selfless life as their choice of career demands, in order to save lives within the communities, Ghana, and the world at large.

“We are going to demand from you that which is noble, upright and sincere. The opportunities we gave you could form the basis for your future success if you are able to develop problem solving skills, and also form good habits during your stay in Family Health University College; creativity and critical chinking should be your goal”.

The total graduating class of 2018 is 16, Matriculants for 2018/2019 Graduate Class 28, Matriculants for 2018/2019 Regular Class 18, Nursing and Midwifery School 2018/2019 Matriculants; Diploma in General Nursing (Intake II) 5, Diploma in Midwifery (Intake II) 8, and Nurse Assistant Clinical (Intake II) 35.

Family Health University College comprises a Hospital, Nursing and Midwifery School and a Medical School.

It is Ghana’s premier private medical school with modern facilities, spacious laboratories and lecture halls.

Family Health Medical School is affiliated to the University of Ghana, and accredited by the National Accreditation Board.

The School offers a six-year Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Medicine programmes.

At the end of the first three years, the student obtains a Bachelor of Science Degree, and thereafter the MB ChB Degree which qualifies one as a Medical Doctor.

There are also students from Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, the United States of America, Britain and Canada.

Source: citinewsroom.com