NPP will solve health problems around pillars - NPP's manifesto

A government of the New Patriotic Party, under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would resolve the nation’s health challenges based on seven principles.

The principles hinge on ensuring and mainstreaming a Health-in-All Policy approach with government agencies taking into account the health implications of their work programmes.

It would introduce a ‘One Health approach with health initiatives that mitigate the exposure of risk by the interaction of humans, animals and the environment; and a adopt Gender Sensitive and Gender Responsive Health System, with a special focus on the health needs of women and children.’

These were stated in its Election 2016 Manifesto document, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

This story forms part of a Ghana News Agency Project, “GNA Tracks Election 2016,” to present the Manifestos of the contesting parties to the electorate.

The Project seeks to create a platform for the dissection and analyses of the manifestoes by all stakeholders and provide in-depth analysis of each thematic area to the electorate to enable them to make an informed judgement.

The project is being funded by Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) the nation’s foremost indigenous oil marketing company and the CIMG 2015 Petroleum Company of the year.

It seeks to sensitise the electorate on the various issues raised by political parties, the elections management body and other governance institutions.

The project also seeks to ensure gender and social inclusion in national politics and to provide a voice for the youth, vulnerable groups, opinion leaders and the broader spectrum of the society, as well as to contribute its quota to the achievement of a Peaceful Poll on December 7.

The Manifesto says: “An NPP Government will also address health disparities in allocating resources and motivating health workers; increase health financing; expand Primary Health Care with respect to reach, quality, and presence of skilled personnel; and focus on the social determinants of health to ensure that Ghana is a healthy nation.”

The NPP, according to its Manifesto, would address the disparities in the health sector by supporting the manpower needs of the MMDAs and the overall healthcare sector; investing in the expansion and equipping of medical schools to train more medical doctors; restoring trainee nurses’ allowances in full; and streamlining the operations of health- training institutions.

An NPP Government would also offer free specialist postgraduate training in the nation’s established postgraduate training institutions, and restore and streamline tax reliefs, strengthen emergency capacity and capability nationwide, including building an Accident and Emergency Centre in Takoradi.

The government would also strengthen the National Ambulance Service and ensure collaboration with NADMO, upgrade all existing District Hospitals where they exist, and where they do not, establish one.

“NPP’s aim is for each District to have at least one hospital, strengthen the flagship Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) programme in the areas of community participation, infrastructure and financing, quality service delivery by skilled health staff, supervision and monitoring, and surveillance and disease control,” the Manifesto says.

“An NPP Government in collaboration with the private sector will establish wellness clinics at all levels of healthcare, and work with the private sector to establish a world class Research and Laboratory Centre within a responsive National Laboratory System.

“We will use a mix of policy and incentives to encourage private sector investments in the development of healthcare facilities, including hospitals and related services.

“Implement a National Epidemic Response System, amend health laws on administration, and management and financing to create an environment conducive for decentralisation.

“We will strengthen the pharmaceutical industry and services to ensure policies on procurement and prescription, guarantee the availability of effective drugs, whilst ensuring drugs are used appropriately, and the improvement of drug supply chain by expanding rapidly local production and ensuring that quality affordable drugs are available”.

An NPP Government, the Manifesto says, would work with the private sector to establish a national bioequivalence laboratory, coordinate with all government agencies to ensure that improved sanitation and waste management are pillars of their operations.

It would provide legislative, administrative and financial support for the implementation of the Mental Health Act, control of non-communicable and neglected tropical diseases, organ transplantation and assisted reproduction.

“We will also improve health facilities and providing Centres of Excellence through partnerships with the private sector, work with the private sector to establish trauma centres within hospitals along the main highways, in order to facilitate medical treatment of citizens in cases of accidents and make Ghana the destination of choice for health tourism in the ECOWAS region”.

The NPP promises that it would make accessible, affordable and of high quality the continuum of care a woman experiences through fertility period to delivery, including the health of children, and promote good nutrition and physical activity as a shared national value.

“We will implement a comprehensive plan for the safe disposal of biomedical waste, strengthen health research institutions, incorporate traditional medicine in the health delivery system and prioritise the training and skills development of health staff,” it says.

“We will improve health data quality to inform local, district and national planning, improve efficiency to ensure limited resources are used prudently, and make sure existing hospitals and clinics are adequately supplied with basic drugs, gloves, syringes, oxygen, and anti-snake serum.”

The NPP says it recognises the increasing incidence of cancers (childhood cancers, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate and other cancers) as a national problem.

In this regard, it would establish centres at all levels of the healthcare delivery system for screening, diagnosis, early detection and prevention of these cancers, and these, it says would be paid for under the restructured and revitalised NHIS.