Ghana Medical Association launches five-year Strategic Plan

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Friday, launched a Strategic Plan to serve as a guide for its activities over the next five years.

The Strategic Plan would provide the direction to the GMA for priority setting as well as focusing goals and resources to ensure that things were done systematically and in a co-ordinated manner.

It would also help outlined the measures of progress and success.
   
The goals of the Plan were also tagged to improve the Association’s effectiveness as a key partner in the development of the health sector, strengthen its leadership role, and serve as a guide in focusing the Association to achieve its goals and objectives.
    
Dr Emmanuel Ewusi-Emmim, the President of the GMA, said the vision of the Association was to ensure a well-motivated professional group at the forefront of delivering optimal healthcare for the public, with core values such as excellence, integrity, responsiveness and a high sense of leadership.
   
The Association, which had been in existence for nearly 60 years, had been a key actor at the forefront of health services, and a partner in ensuring the achievement of Sector goals and objectives, while helping to build sufficient, effective and sustainable health structures and systems.
    
Dr Mary Amoakoh-Coleman, a member of the Research and Strategic Plan Committee, in an overview of the Strategic Plan, said previous actions and achievements had been based on yearly plans without any strategic guidance and focus.
   
Besides, lack of continuity of medium to long term plans and achievements, as well as previous industrial agitations seem to overshadow all the contributions the GMA had made in the sector and society, she said.
   
She said the need to refocus and rebrand the Association necessitated the development of the Strategic Plan to clearly communicate the goals of the Organisation and the actions needed to achieve them. 
   
Dr Amoakoh-Coleman said the Plan would, therefore, be used for priority setting and focusing goals and resources, ensure things were done systematically and in a co-ordinated manner, as well as for outlining the measures of progress and success.
   
She explained that the goals of the Plan was to improve the Association’s effectiveness as a key partner in the development of the health sector, strengthen  its leadership role, and serve as a guide in focusing the Association to achieve its goals and objectives.
  
She mentioned some of the key strategic objectives as continuously enhancing the corporate image of the Association, fostering strategic partnerships and collaborations, as well as to promote professional growth of members and promote their welfare.
   
The GMA, she said, intended to contribute significantly to the development and growth of the health sector by engaging stakeholders to make relevant inputs, establish and operate a health think tank and also engage the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on its operations and sustainability, she said.
  
Dr Amoakoh-Coleman said the strategic objectives under the Plan would promote self-regulation by encouraging members to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, ensure professionalism by reducing malpractice, and improve standards and quality as per the Medical and Dental Council Code of Ethics among members. 
   
It would also facilitate sustainable research grants for members, promote the GMA Medical Journal,  regular  negotiation with the Ministry of Health  to ensure competitive conditions of service, establish coaching and mentoring programmes for interested doctors, develop and implement a communication strategy for the GMA, as well as expand and enhance social media presence and engagement.

She said other strategies would include the establishment and maintenance   of effective dialogue with patients and the public.
   
She said the GMA was expected to provide significant input into all discussions including the financial sustainability of the National health Insurance Scheme care financing, member were kept abreast with current medical advancements, as well as a positive increase in the perception of the Association among partners and clients.
  
Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule, the Rector of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and a former President of the GMA, encouraged member to own the Strategic Plan, disseminate and operationalise it at the divisional and sub-group levels, conduct baseline and follow up surveys and review meetings to evaluate achievements of set targets while ensuring continuity through committed leadership.

Source: GNA

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