The Ministry of Health (MoH) is committed to collaborating with stakeholders and health institutions to improve quality healthcare services across the country, the sector Minister, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has said.
Such partnership, he said, was key to advancing the country’s efforts at achieving to universal health coverage and other global health targets.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said this at the launch of 20th anniversary celebration of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), on the theme; ‘Two Decades of Postgraduate Medical Training in Ghana.’
Lauding the College for its enormous contribution to the healthcare sector over the last two decades, he said the GCPS had played a key role in producing specialists for the development of the country.
“Over the past 20 years, the GCPS has produced almost 1700 members and 200 Fellows and remain a key agency of MoH with the task of producing specialist doctors for the country which is very crucial for the success of our health care system,” he said.
The Minister noted that in a bid to support the growth of the College, the Ministry had secured cabinet approval on a policy that would ensure that doctors start their postgraduate training earlier than what pertains and that the rate of production of Fellows by the College was increased.
“We are currently working on getting a formal policy on the funding of postgraduate medical training established so that the funding system would not be dependent on the government leading the country,” he added.
He urged the leadership of the college to use the anniversary celebration to deliberate on how they can work together to increase the rate of production of specialists without compromising the quality of the training.
“The contribution of the products of the college to health policy discussions will also help us come out with the best systems possible to ensure that our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) are achieved in a short term,” he said.
The Council Chairman of the college, Professor Yaw Adu-Gyamfi in his address, urged the government and other stakeholders to be keen in assisting health institutions with requisite technologies to improve health education and provision of services.
He noted that having access to quality healthcare was central to the country’s socio-economic development, commending the College for standing tall in the face of challenges to deliver on its mission and vision over the years.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi expressed hope that the coming years would bring more goodwill to expanding the College to contribute towards achieving quality healthcare.
The president of the College, Professor Samuel Debrah, appealed for financial support to provide the necessary facilities and equipment for the training of specialists.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
