Techiman, (BE/R), Feb.04, GNA – The Ghana Catholics Bishops Conference (GCBC) has approved and inaugurated the National Catholics Health Services (NCHS) as a Corporate Trust with a new name Catholic Health Service Trust, Ghana (CHSTG).
Chaired by the Most Reverend Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, the trust has therefore been registered as a legal entity with laid down structures, systems, and strategies to promote accountability, and standardisation in the application of policies.
Other members of the Trustee include the Mt Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, the Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Mt Rev. Gabriel Kumordji, the Catholic Bishop of Donkorkrom Vicariate and Dr (Mrs ) Emily Boakye Yiadom and Mar Victor Gborglah.
Speaking at a short ceremony held in Techiman in the Bono East Region, the Mt Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Catholic Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, and the President of the (GCBC), said the conference was determined to reposition the catholic health services.
This would enable it to meet and respond proactively to set requirements of the law, society, and regulators and promote accountability.
“The goal for the catholic health care is more embracing than accountability,” Mt Rev Gyamfi stated, saying GCBC was also interested in promoting the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of the people.
He said GCBC realized that the NCHS system was unable to deliver the expectations of the changes in the health sector, primarily because of lack of uniformity in the application of policies and coordinated response.
Mt Rev Gyamfi said as a trust, the CHSTG would help strengthen health service provision for significant health outcomes.
“It will help address weaknesses in the structure and systems at the Arch/dioceses, standardise policy implementation and coordinate and promote accountability in areas including patient safety, human resource, financial, and supply management,” he stated.
Mt Rev Gyamfi, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to join the Catholic Church to advocate more resources from the government, foundations, and donors to re-tool the catholic health service.
The Mt Rev. Fianu, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees said the changes in the health sector required a toughened regulatory regime for caregiving, saying the CHSTG continued to be the largest member of the Christian Health Association of Ghana with 49 hospitals, 96 clinics, 11 Health Training Institutions, and five specialised institutions including an Orthopedic Training Centre.
He pledged to ensure that the Trust used governance systems to address challenges and promote high accountability at all levels.