The District Directors of Health Services (DDHS) Group has assured government of its commitment to driving the implementation of the Free Primary Healthcare policy to help advance Ghana’s goal of Universal Health Coverage.
National Chairperson of the Group, Dr. Justice Thomas Savugu, said District Health Directors occupy a critical position in translating national health policies and guidelines into practical interventions that directly benefit communities.
He said the decision to focus the Group’s 33rd Annual General Conference on the theme, “From Policy to Practice: The District Director of Health Service Driving Free Primary Health Care for Universal Health Coverage in Ghana,” was deliberate because district-level implementation would determine the success of the policy.
Dr. Savugu explained that national policies only become meaningful when district health managers understand, embrace, and engage relevant stakeholders to translate them into action.
“This group is one of the administrative and the last administrative recognized by the Act of Parliament 525. Below it, there is none, and that makes this group very critical for translating policy to practice,” he said.
He said the Group was particularly encouraged by the introduction of Free Primary Healthcare because of its potential to extend essential healthcare services to both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians living in Ghana.
According to him, district directors, under the guidance of regional directors, are prepared to innovate and find practical ways of reaching more people despite resource constraints.
Speaking during the annual the 33rd annual conference held in Bolgatanga, he said the country has only a few years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and therefore cannot rely on traditional approaches if it is to significantly expand access to healthcare.
“The district directors under the guidance of our regional directors are committed to innovate and to find practical ways of doing things with minimal resources so that we will reach the larger population we intend to reach within the shortest possible time,” he said.
Dr. Savugu assured the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, that the success of the Free Primary Healthcare policy would not be left to the government alone.
He said district health directors themselves would be beneficiaries of a stronger health system and therefore had a personal interest in ensuring the policy succeeds.
“Mr. Minister, through our Director-General, we want to give the assurance that the success of this policy is not to you, but to ourselves as our clients at some point in time, and we become patients at another point in time,” he said.
As part of efforts to demonstrate their commitment to the policy, the Group used the conference to undertake community and facility-level engagements in the Upper East Region.
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