Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has called on the Governing Boards of the Ghana Health Service and the Ho Teaching Hospital to ensure that patients are treated with empathy, dignity, and professionalism.
Speaking at the inauguration of both boards on Monday, June 16, the Minister emphasized the need for improved patient care across the country.
He noted that his visits to various health facilities, along with reports received, indicate that many patients are not being treated with the highest level of professionalism—an issue that exacerbates the nation’s existing healthcare challenges.
He stressed that addressing these shortcomings is essential to building a more responsive and humane healthcare system for all Ghanaians.
“Ghanaian patients deserve to be treated with empathy, dignity and respect, which is very important. Sometimes it is quite disheartening to hear that patients are shunning away from hospitals, not because of a lack of equipment, but because of how professionals treat them. Professionalism must be our hallmark with the greatest of respect. It shouldn’t be business as usual.”
The Health Minister further urged health facilities to prudently utilise internally generated funds to repair obsolete equipment rather than relying on government intervention to fix faulty equipment in healthcare facilities.
“…Why should equipment be faulty or obsolete, and it will still require the government to look for money to go and fix it. This should be a thing of the past. We must have clear rules of engagement. Open an account, put those monies in, and we only touch the money when we want to fix or replace the equipment.”