President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his government’s joint health infrastructure programs are in line with Ghana’s vision of becoming a global center for medical excellence.
He hopes that the government’s massive health-care programs will also transform Ghana into a medical tourism destination.
“Agenda 111, the largest health infrastructure project in our country’s history, is part of our country’s vision for Ghana’s health care sector, and its realization will contribute to Ghana becoming a center of medical excellence and a medical tourism destination,” he said.
The President said he is committed to expanding access to healthcare, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as he delivered his first State of the Nation Address of his second term in Parliament on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
“The pandemic has highlighted the need for the government to extend health care coverage for all Ghanaians, regardless of their level of education. I’d like to express my gratitude to all of our frontline healthcare staff for their commitment to duty and sense of patriotism. The government’s 375 operational, well-equipped ambulances under the one constituency, one ambulance program are backed up by a state-of-the-art digitized center.”
In 2020, the government announced Agenda 111, which calls for the construction of 100-bed District Hospitals in 101 districts without them, seven Regional Hospitals, including one for the Western Region, two new psychiatric hospitals for the Middle Belt and Northern Belt, and the rehabilitation of Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region.
President Akufo Addo stated that these projects are on track and will be completed without delay.
“In addition to the one hundred thousand health professionals hired during my first term for our health facilities, the government will continue to invest in the health sector and hire more health professionals,” he said.
He also stated that the implementation of an electronic medical records system (E-Health) is currently underway in key health facilities in the Central Region, including the Korle-Bu, Komfo-Anokye, Ho, Tamale, and Cape Coast Teaching Hospitals, as well as 18 district hospitals.
He promised that the e-health platform will go live in five days at the Upper East, Upper West, and Bono Regional Hospitals.
According to the President, 33 major health projects totaling 890 million euros were approved for implementation last year.
The Koforidua Regional Hospital, Tema General Hospital, Korle-Bu Nephrology and Urology Centre, Redevelopment of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital into a Teaching Hospital, and the Construction of a new Regional Hospital at Agona Nkwanta in the Western Region are among the most important of these projects.
What government seeks to achieve with Agenda 111
a) In various medical specialties, each of the 16 regional hospitals will be classified as a Centre of Excellence. Orthopaedic surgery, burns, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, breast care centers, fertility centers, neonatology and paediatric centers, neurosurgery and spine centers, stroke centers, heart and kidney centers, and mental health centers are only a few examples.
b) Continue to improve our medical education and provide world-class training to our young doctors and health care professionals.
c) Incentivize the private sector to expand capacity in order to meet demand for healthcare; and
d) Encourage Ghanaian medical experts in exile to cooperate and join hands with us in realizing this noble vision.
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SOURCE: ATLFMNEWSONLINE
