Ghana takes steps to promote Universal Health Care Package – Minister
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, the Minister of Health says steps are being taken to make Universal Health Care (UHC) Package accessible throughout the country by 2030, to improve the quality of care.
The UHC Package is expected to be a set of health services that meets the health needs and aspirations of every Ghanaian irrespective of their age, gender and social status.
It would also recognize the different health needs of all persons at different stages, ensure that there is access to curative and preventive services, which take care of common diseases.
The Minster whose speech was read on his behalf at a press briefing in Accra to mark the observation the 2019 World Health Day (WHD), said the package would present to the public evidence–based, high impact interventions to promote emergency care, mental and physical health.
The government had also begun the development of a UHC roadmap to ensure that Ghanaians had timely access to quality health services irrespective of their ability to pay at the point of use.
“To achieve the goal of UHC; Ghana has identified Primary Health Care (PHC) as one of the key strategies in implementing the roadmap for UHC in Ghana,” he said.
Key strategies under consideration in operationalizing the UHC roadmap, include increasing the enrolment of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and keeping members active as well as making Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) fully functional throughout the nation.
The other are; redesigning the service delivery system to meet the health needs of the people, increase financial resources in the health sector, as well as the private sector, civil society engagement and retention of human resources for health.
The Minister said the UHC must become a movement and not a catchword, “it must be a reality”, and pledged government’s commitment to provide the necessary leadership.
Dr. Owen Kaluwa, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Representative to Ghana, lauded the country for putting in place meaningful health interventions.
He underlined the need for Ghana to strengthen the CHPS system, saying, “Ghana needs to deliberately define, and build on its existing systems and get all actors on board as improved health care delivery is not dependent on the health sector only”.
Dr. Anastasia Yirenkyi, Acting Director of Traditional and Alternative Care at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said the centre was working to ensure that more than 100 hospitals inculcated traditional health care in their services by 2021.
Explaining the inclusion of traditional health care into general health care in Ghana, she said presently, there were only 33 selected hospitals offering alternative medical care across the country.
Source: GNA