THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has commended management and staff of the St Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua for the quality health care services it has provided in 50 years of its existence.
He said the commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by management and staff of the hospital had helped to fight the "ravages of diseases and healed victims of accidents in the country and beyond".
"Your reputation for quality orthopaedic care has indeed attained an international recognition for which you must keep it up", the President stated.
The President made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, at Golden Jubilee celebration of the St. Joseph Orthopaedic and General Hospital in Koforidua.
The hospital which specialises in orthopaedics and traumatology, was established by the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God from the Castilian Province of Spain with an out-patient attendance of 25.
Today, the facility records an average daily OPD attendance of 200 patients, comprising Ghanaians and other nationals.
The President said since the health of the people was wealth that would enable the country to achieve a middle-income status, the government was determined to ensure that quality and affordable health care delivery services were accessible.
He said the government alone could not accomplish such a commitment and, therefore, commended the membership of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), including the National Catholic Health Service.
"Your compliment in the area of health care delivery has indeed helped to narrow healthcare gaps of inequality and inequity between the urban and the rural parts of this country over the years", the President stated.
He added "you are indeed a pro-life and anti-marginalisation of the non-reached, poor and sick".
By virtue of the immense role being played by the National Catholic Health Service and other members of the CHAG, the President said that every effort would be made to recognise "you as separate agency of the Ministry of Health to enable us to attain the best health system required by the people of this country".
On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the President acknowledged some of the challenges facing the scheme, and mentioned, for example reimbursement to a number of service providers. He gave the assurance that such a problem would be addressed and the legal and operational challenges facing the scheme streamlined.
He also assured management of the facility that a borehole would be constructed to serve as a source of water to the hospital and directed the Biomedical Engineering unit of the Ministry of Health to assist the hospital to address its equipment needs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, expressed concern over how some managers of the NHIS had colluded with some service providers to siphon funds allocated for the smooth running of the scheme.
He said the government was determined to flush out such unscrupulous persons to make the scheme vibrant and attractive. Mr Ampofo acknowledged the patience of some of the service providers, including the St Joseph Hospital, which had continued to render services.
For his part, the Director of the hospital, Rev Bro Johannes Baptista Torwoe, mentioned the lack of funds as one of the challenges facing the delivery of quality health care at the facility, saying "our past foreign partners who used to support us have now folded up due to the global economic crisis".
He therefore appealed to well-meaning individuals and the government to help address that problem.
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