Ghana Health Service Raises Alarm Over Declining Public Trust

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has expressed concern over the growing erosion of public confidence in its operations and has urged health directors and workers to demonstrate professionalism and diligence to restore trust and improve healthcare delivery.

The service noted that public complaints about poor service delivery, lack of compassion from some health professionals, and unsatisfactory patient care have escalated in recent years, resulting in several lawsuits against the GHS.

To address these issues, the GHS announced strict measures to hold underperforming directors accountable, stressing that absenteeism and poor work practices will no longer be tolerated. In addition, an award scheme will soon be rolled out to recognise and reward the most compassionate health practitioners. The initiative aims to motivate health workers to deliver quality care while rebuilding the integrity and reputation of the service.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the Director-General of the GHS at the 32nd Annual General Conference of the District Directors of Health Service Group in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Dr. Kennedy Brightson acknowledged the contributions of district directors to improving healthcare but urged them to redouble their efforts to rebuild public trust.

“We must also confront a difficult reality: public trust in our health services is deteriorating. Too many Ghanaians complain about our poor attitude, lack of leadership, weak supervision and delayed care. This dissatisfaction has led to lawsuits against the service, draining huge sums of money that should have gone into improving care.

“As district directors, you are accountable for the quality of supervision and oversight in your districts. Leadership failure at the local level can’t continue any longer. We will be holding non-performing directors accountable, and absentee leadership and managers who fail to demonstrate capacity will no longer be tolerated,” he said.

On his part, Dr. Justice Thomas Sevugu, National Chairman of the District Directors of Health Service Group, highlighted the numerous challenges faced in healthcare delivery at the district level. He appealed to government and relevant authorities to provide adequate operational funding, improved conditions of service, and logistics to strengthen healthcare delivery.

“As the base of the pyramid of health which is the district—the operational level—things have to be set right. So we are appealing that once we are able to get operational funding, we get the logistics, enhanced equipment, then we will also be able to sit down, prepare effective emergency preparedness plans, simulate them and ensure that the system is ready and able to confront health emergencies that will come.

“The government should ensure that they meet us halfway in terms of operational funding, and we are also calling for the welfare of the district director,” he added.

This year’s conference was held under the theme: “Enhancing Health Security in Ghana: Innovations, Preparedness, and Workforce Well-being for a Sustainable Future.”

Source: Citinews