Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has called for stronger collaboration with journalists to identify challenges in the implementation of free primary healthcare and improve health services at the community level.
He said journalists should see themselves as partners in the health system rather than outsiders whose role is limited to reporting on health-related developments.
Speaking during an AMMREN webinar on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Dr Kaba Akoriyea said journalists’ close interaction with communities placed them in a position to provide valuable feedback on how health policies and services were being experienced by the public.
He said the implementation of free primary healthcare presented an opportunity for the media and health authorities to work together to identify challenges and find practical ways of improving the programme.
Dr Kaba Akoriyea disclosed that the Ghana Health Service would hold a dedicated engagement with journalists to examine the implementation of free primary healthcare and discuss how the programme could be made more effective.
“We don’t want the system to be Ghana Health Service versus journalists,” he said, calling for a relationship built around cooperation and improving healthcare delivery.
He encouraged journalists to participate in GHS activities and raise questions, concerns and ideas that could contribute to strengthening health services.
According to the Director-General, journalists are themselves users of the health system, whether seeking healthcare, visiting relatives at health facilities or reporting on issues within the sector.
Health workers, he added, also depend on the same system for healthcare, making its improvement a shared responsibility.
Journalists can provide community feedback
Dr Kaba Akoriyea said journalists have a unique relationship with communities and could help health authorities better understand people’s experiences with healthcare services.
He encouraged journalists who encounter challenges within the health system to draw the attention of the GHS to them through the appropriate channels.
Such engagement, he said, could provide the Service with information about problems at the community level that may require attention.
He said this would be particularly important as the country implements free primary healthcare, with feedback from communities helping authorities assess how effectively the programme is working and where improvements are required.
Concern over misinformation
The GHS Director-General also raised concerns about health misinformation, particularly with the growth of artificial intelligence, digital media and social media platforms.
He said inaccurate information could spread rapidly and sometimes gain credibility simply because people encountered it on television, social media or an established news platform.
Dr Kaba Akoriyea therefore urged journalists to ensure that health information provided to the public is accurate.
He thanked journalists and other stakeholders participating in the engagement and called for continued cooperation between the media and the Ghana Health Service to improve healthcare delivery.
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