To achieve a universal healthcare delivery by 2030, the Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment (RISE)-Ghana is making efforts to rope in the private sector to support health delivery in the country.
To achieve this purpose, the Bolgatanga-based NGO is engaging with stakeholders to identify and approach the private sector so they can channel their corporate social responsibility towards accessing and financing maternal health delivery.
The Executive Director of RISE-Ghana, Awal Ahmed Kariama, observed that the annual budget allocation from the government to the health sector has always not been sufficient, hence the call for private sector support.
“So, a lot of health facilities lack basic infrastructure, and the government alone obviously cannot do it. So, the role of the private sector is very important in health delivery”, Mr. Awal said during a stakeholders’ engagement.
The stakeholders’ engagement that took place in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region was under the “Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme (GREP)” project. The 3-year project is funded by Star Ghana through the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The project, which targets the Talensi and Nabdam districts since its launch in the region, has trained 14 health committees in 14 health facilities on the use of the scorecard to assess maternal health services in their various health facilities and how to take action plans for resolving issues identified.
Head of Programmes at RISE-Ghana, Jaw-haratu Amadu, revealed that the outcomes of the scorecard included a lack of potable water at health facilities to ensure hygiene, encroachment on lands belonging to health facilities, and inadequate infrastructure.
“So, looking at these challenges, we all know that the government alone cannot meet the demands because it is overburdened. So, we are calling on the private sector, CSOs, and individuals, to give back to the communities to improve maternal health services”, she added.
Ms. Amadu said her outfit is engaging with the community health committees for them to share the challenges of the health facilities with the institutions, and individuals to seek support to improve maternal health delivery.
She said through the enlightenment, the health committee from Tongo-Beo in the Talensi district had engaged themselves and contributed to repair a broken borehole.
“They also raised funds locally and started the construction of a structure to serve as child welfare services centre/unit”
The Nabdam District Chief Executive, Agnes Anamoo lauded the project saying it will serve as a catalyst to improve health delivery. She said the district assembly has allocated 3 boreholes in the Medium Term Development Plan to serve health facilities following the GREP facilitated and Facility Committee-led engagement with the membership of the District Planning and Coordinating Unit (DPCU).
On his part, the paramount chief of the Sekote traditional area, Naba Sigri Bewong, said he had engaged with his elders and divisional chiefs to put in place measures to curb the menace of people encroaching on lands belonging to health facilities.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
