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Mr Kwaku Agyemen Manu, the Minister of Health on Wednesday, inaugurated the Governing Boards for Korle-Bu and Ho Teaching Hospitals respectively.

The 11-Member reconstituted Board of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, would be chaired by Mr Daniel Charles Gyimah, an experienced Management and Administration professional.

The other members included Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib, a Legal practitioner, Dr Radha Maria Odua Hackman, a Clinician, Mr Michael Owusu, an Allied Health professional, Mr Albert Wiredu Arko, a Pharmacist, and Mrs Hanna Akua Oparebea Aquah, representing Nurses and Midwives.

The rest were Professor Margaret Yaa Lartey and Rev. Prof. Patrick Ferdinand K. Ayeh-Kumi, both representatives of the Universities as partners, Mr Charles Ofori, a Finance and Risk Management professional, Mr Nick Danso Adjei, a Private Sector Business person, and Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, a Chief Administrator.

The Governing Body, on the other hand, had Dr Felix Anyaa as its Chairperson, an experienced Management and Administration professional, to be supported by members including Mr Ernest Yao Gaewu, a legal practitioner, Dr. Emmanuel Kofi Amponsah, a medical practitioner, Dr Prince Amuzu, Allied Health professional, Dr Audu Rauf, a Pharmacist, and Mr Felix Nyante Representing Nurses and Midwives.

The rest were Prof. John Gyapong and Dr Sylvia Ayeley Deganus, both representing Universities, Mr Kofi Ampofo Agyapong, an experienced Finance and Business Person and Dr John Kofi Banaanwin Tampuori, the Acting Chief Executive Officer. Mr Agyeman Manu, explained that the exercise to reconstitute the Boards had become necessary due to some amendment made to the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospital Act, to ensure the better management of health facilities.

According to him, a careful assessment of the composition of the various at Teaching Hospitals looked like an extension of the Management meetings, where between 75 to 80 per cent of the membership were managers in the various departments of these facilities.

The Health Minister stated that Governing Boards were set ups like corporate governance, to bring in people from outside of an institution to observe how management was performing, to try and see how certain things could be changed for quality output and good governance.

He explained that although approval had long been given by both Cabinet and Parliament for the inauguration of these Boards, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana among other factors, led to the delay, but acknowledged and congratulated the members of the old Boards for their meritorious service and solid achievements during their tenure.

Mr Agyeman Manu, however, urged the new Boards, to build on the solid foundations of their predecessors to make their respective facilities centres of excellence, and said a lot would be expected of them to ensure quality service delivery, and also in developing strategies for enhanced Internally Generated Funds to improve their infrastructure and other needs, without necessarily having to run to the government each time for assistance.

He further urged the Boards to also look at issues concerning the welfare of the staff of their facilities to ensure that they were happy which he said, could also translate into achieving patient satisfaction through the hard work these healthcare professionals.

The Board, he said, must also closely monitor the management of their institutions to ensure targets set were achieved.

Mr Agyeman-Manu, specifically encouraged the Governing Board of the Ho Teaching Hospital to bring in extra managerial skills that would support the management of the facility to achieve better results in the pursuance of medical tourism, owing to their geographical location at the border of the country, to secure more revenue.

The Chairpersons of both Boards thanked the Government and the Health Ministry for the confidence reposed in them and promised to work hard to achieve the expected quality health outcomes.