A fundamental human right is to have access to high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare. Inequity in accessing healthcare services has been identified as one of the issues that need to be addressed in order to enhance health outcomes, even though Ghana has made significant strides in improving access to these services. Government-funded or aided hospitals offer patients from impoverished communities much more affordable treatment options.
The Ghana Investment Infrastructure Fund( GIIF) provided the government with a US$ 100 million start-up fund to start the construction of 111 district, specialized, and regional hospitals across the nation for the purpose of ensuring that more people have access to high-quality healthcare. The project has been given the name "Agenda 11." Starting at the beginning of the year, each doctor should be finished.
The Ghana Health Infrastructure Project, also known as the Agenda 111 job, consists of 101 area hospitals in areas without regional facilities. It also includes the construction of two psychiatric hospitals for the middle and southern belts, seven local hospitals, and the recovery of the Accra Psychic Hospital.
The president's health advisor, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, recently stated in an interview in Accra that the organization was working to ensure that no one had to go more than five kilometers to receive medical care or had trouble doing so due to financial constraints. The Agenda 111 jobs aim to significantly boost district-level delivery of high-quality medical and boost access to healthcare services for all citizens in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.
The Agenda 111 task offered an unmatched chance to change the nation's medical system, according to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the secretary of information. Ophthalmology, dental and physiotherapy, imaging services, and consultation for medical and surgical cases are just a few of the ambulatory services that each unit is expected to offer. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah visited Trede in the Ashanti Region on Friday, June 30, and reported that 88 facilities from Agenda 111 were currently being built there.
He stated that 88 of the projects were currently under construction and expressed his hope that the majority of them would be finished and inaugurated by the year's end. On average, he claimed that most contractors had completed about 52% of the work on each project site they visited.
However, it is claimed that some regions had trouble finding land for construction, raising questions about the government's dedication to the initiatives. The Daily Graphic is pleased to report that, once finished, each hospital will be expected to employ at least 100 health professionals, employ 100 others indirectly, and establish additional companies in the local communities' health value chains.
Hence, we want to applaud the government for honoring Agenda 111, one of its commitments. However, we think that in order for the government to be successful in its endeavor, chiefs, conventional leaders, and opinion leaders must collaborate to make sure that they support the projects in their respective communities. The paper also urges the government to make sure that when the different hospitals are finished, competent and enthusiastic health professionals will staff them.
Nurses and other health professionals currently very high attrition rate due to low pay, and the few remaining are also reluctant to work in neighborhoods that are difficult to reach. However, the Daily Graphic thinks that the problem of the over-concentration of specialized health professionals in cities and urban centers can be solved with the right motivation for health practitioners who will accept postings to rural areas.
