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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address has stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has given the country the opportunity to resolve some long-standing problems in the health sector.

According to him, his government has taken steps already to resolve the problem of infrastructure deficit in the healthcare system once for all with the exemption of agenda 111 which aims at building hospitals around the country.

Addressing the 7th Parliament, President Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that his government has started the upgrading of the district hospitals where they exist and also establish new ones where they do not exist.

“Covid-19 has presented us with the opportunity to resolve some long-standing problems in the health sector. We have taken steps to resolve the problem of infrastructure deficit in the healthcare system once for all with the exemption of agenda 111 at the start of the building of hospitals around the country. We are upgrading district hospitals where they exist and establishing new ones where they do not,” he stated.

He further mentioned that the government is going to invest in the next generation of Ghanaian doctors and nurses.

He noted in the State of the Nation Address that prior to the onset of the pandemic on the shores of the country, his government had succeeded in restoring the highly indebted National Health Insurance Scheme he inherited in January 2017 back to its feet.

He again mentioned that some 95,000 health workers were recruited into the public health sector and also ensured that each constituency is now well-equipped with a functioning ambulance.  

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, however, expressed his appreciation to the task force formed with Ghanaian professionals to advise him throughout the crisis and also extended his appreciation to all Ghanaians who have arisen to the occasion to help cope with the crisis.

“I have had a team of dedicated Ghanaian professionals formed into a task force who have been advising me throughout the crisis and I am extremely appreciative of them and all those who have arisen to the occasion and helped us to cope with the crisis," he said.

He, therefore, used the State of the Nation Address to again remind Ghanaians about the existence of the pandemic; urging all and sundry to continue to keep with the safety protocols.

“I am using this opportunity to again remind all of us that the pandemic is still with us. We have to maintain the protocols to keep us safe,” he cautioned.