The Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has ordered all public teaching hospitals to begin operating 24-hour Out-Patient Departments, laboratories and diagnostic centres, warning that government health policies must move from paper to practice.
Speaking at an ongoing sector-wide management retreat, the Minister challenged management of the Ministry of Health and its agencies to urgently align their plans, budgets and implementation strategies with Government’s priority commitments.
“Ghanaians are not interested in beautifully written plans. They want services that work, facilities that are open, and care that is accessible when they need it,” Mr. Akandoh said. “Our institutions must now shift from planning to coordinated action.”
He said the directive for round-the-clock OPD and diagnostic services is in line with the President’s 24-hour health service policy and is aimed at expanding access, reducing delays in care and responding more directly to the needs of the public.
The Health Minister also pushed for faster progress in expanding tertiary healthcare and training capacity across the regions. He tasked the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to expedite processes for the full accreditation of the Sunyani Regional Hospital as a teaching hospital.
“Accrediting Sunyani as a teaching hospital will strengthen clinical training, decongest our existing teaching hospitals and improve access to specialised care for people in the middle belt and beyond,” he noted.
Mr. Akandoh stressed that all agencies under the Ministry must operate strictly within the policy direction of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, describing it as the blueprint for health sector reforms.
“The manifesto outlines clear priorities for improving access, coordination and service delivery. Aligning institutional objectives and spending with these commitments is not optional. It is essential if we are to meet public expectations,” he said.
He described the two-day retreat as a critical moment to review performance, address implementation gaps and reset the sector towards clear targets for 2026 and beyond.
The Minister urged health sector leaders to demonstrate renewed commitment, deepen inter-agency collaboration and uphold accountability as they drive government’s health agenda and deliver measurable improvements in healthcare outcomes nationwide.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
