ENSURE QUALITY HEALTH CARE DELIVERY (MIRROR, PAGE 34, JUNE 19, 2010)

From Samuel Duodu, Nkoranza.

The Second Lady, Mrs Lordina Dramani Mahama has called for a concerted effort  from all stakeholders in the health sector, especially health workers to help ensure quality healthcare delivery to all in the country.
She noted that the  government alone could not achieve the objective of providing quality healthcare to all citizens and therefore it behoves every Ghanaian to assist in that direction.
Mrs Mahama made the call when she presented some medical equipment and other items on behalf of her Non-governmental organisation (NGO), Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOP) to the St. Theresa Hospital at Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region over the weekend.
The wife of the Vice- President also made similar donations at separate ceremonies  to the Kintampo South District Government Hospital at Jema, the district capital and the Busunya Health Centre at Busunya also the capital of the Nkoranza North District ,all in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The equipment and  items, which were solicited for from an Israeli NGO by the Second Lady through her organisation, included wheel chairs, clutches, surgical equipment, beds, matresses, bedsheets, pillows, drugs, orthopaedic wheel chairs, uniforms and infusion stands.
According to Mrs Mahama, the donation of the medical equipment and items was part of her efforts to help ensure good quality healthcare delivery for all, especially in less endowed areas of the country and gave the assurance that she would ask for more of such assistance for other health facilities across the nation to help improve on healthcare delivery.
Mrs Mahama in her address  also urged nurses to show more concern for the sick, saying “ I urge you  to take care of your patients. When people are sick, they need a lot of care and I urge you to show them nothing but love and care”.
She expressed the hope that the equipement and the items would go a long way to restore good health to all who would visit the beneficiary  health facilities.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku who was part of the Second Lady’s entourage gave the assurance that the government would fulfil its campaign promise of the One Time National Health Insurance  Premium to Ghanaians and urged all citizens to exercise restriant and rather rally behind the government to achieve its ‘better Ghana agenda’.
He also gave the assurance that plans were under way to upgrade the Busunya Health Centre to the status of a district hospital and also the expansion of infrastructure in all health facilities across the country as a way of improving the quality of health delivery.
Madam Salamatu Ibrahim and Madam Grace Kafui Anyande, District Health Directors for Nkoranza South and Kintampo South respectively ,who received the items on behalf of their various health institutions, expressed their gratitude to the Second Lady  for the gesture.
They appealed  for the provision of more infrastructure for their respective facilities and also accommodation for health personnel to help retain them in the area.
Also  present at the separate ceremonies were Messrs Emmanuel Agyekum, Kwadwo Agyei Dwomo and Kwadwo Nyame Dartiakwa, District Chief Executives (DCEs) for  Nkoranza South, Nkoranza North and Kintampo South respectively. Ensure quality health care delivery