BY Grace Zigah
The Health Ministry has intensified calls for collaboration with the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) as part of its broader agenda to reform the country’s healthcare system and reduce long-standing disparities in service delivery.
Speaking at the GMA’s 67th Annual Conference, which carried the theme “Strengthening Public–Private Partnerships (PPP) for Sustainable Healthcare Delivery”, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, stressed the need for the medical community to actively participate in government-led reforms aimed at extending quality healthcare to underserved communities.
The Minister detailed several ongoing initiatives under the government’s health agenda.
Chief among them is the decentralised posting of doctors, a measure designed to alleviate chronic staffing shortages in rural and peri-urban areas, where access to qualified medical personnel has historically been limited.
Akandoh also highlighted the Free Primary Health Care policy, which seeks to remove financial barriers for patients, ensuring that basic health services are available to all Ghanaians regardless of location or income.
A significant part of the Ministry’s strategy involves opening certain Agenda 111 hospitals and critical service areas, including diagnostics and primary care, to strategic partnerships with private entities.
The Minister argued that integrating the private sector would inject innovation, efficiency, and sustainability into public health service delivery.
He urged the GMA to assume a central role in forging these public–private collaborations, emphasizing that successful reform depends on the active engagement and professional expertise of medical practitioners.
He described the Association as an indispensable partner in building a health system that is fair, responsive, and patient-focused.
