BY Grace Zigah
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has openly acknowledged a worrying decline in public trust in the country’s health delivery system, raising concerns about the impact on healthcare outcomes and national development.
Speaking at the 32nd Annual General Conference of the District Directors of Health Service Group in Kumasi, Dr. Kennedy Brightson, who represented the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea admitted that growing dissatisfaction among Ghanaians is threatening the integrity of the Service.
Reports of poor attitudes among health professionals, lack of compassion, weak leadership, and delayed medical care have become common complaints, leading to a surge in lawsuits filed against the GHS.
This erosion of trust, according to Dr. Brightson, has drained financial resources that could have been channeled into improving service delivery.
“We must 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,” he stressed.
To curb the decline, the GHS announced new accountability measures targeting district health directors and staff. Non-performing directors will face sanctions, while absenteeism and negligence will no longer be tolerated.
In a bid to restore confidence, the Service is also rolling out an award scheme to recognize health practitioners who demonstrate compassion and professionalism.
Public discontent with healthcare delivery is not new.
Over the past decade, the GHS has battled multiple image crises, ranging from the shortage of essential drugs and equipment to industrial actions by health workers over poor conditions of service.
In some cases, patients have taken legal action against hospitals and practitioners, citing negligence and substandard care.
Critics argue that the system’s failure is rooted in inadequate investment, poor management, and corruption within the health sector.
Adding his voice, Dr. Justice Thomas Sevugu, National Chairman of the District Directors of Health Service Group, highlighted the pressing challenges at the district level, which he described as the “base of the pyramid” of the healthcare system.
He appealed for adequate operational funding, logistics, and improved welfare for district directors, stressing that without these, the Service would continue to struggle with emergency preparedness and effective healthcare delivery.
“As the operational base, we need logistics, equipment, and reliable funding to strengthen our capacity.
Once these are addressed, we can develop proper emergency preparedness plans and ensure that the system is ready to confront health crises,” Dr. Sevugu explained.
This year’s conference, themed “Enhancing Health Security in Ghana: Innovations, Preparedness, and Workforce Well-being for a Sustainable Future,” comes at a time when Ghana is also pursuing the ambitious goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030.
However, with public trust declining, health experts warn that rebuilding confidence in the GHS will be crucial if that target is to be met.
