The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has held the second edition of its “Management and Senior Specialist/Consultants Consultative forum” under the theme: “The New KATH Agenda – Recalibrating Efforts For Enhanced Specialist Services Outputs: The Role of Stakeholders”.
Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of KATH noted, while addressing the forum in Kumasi on Monday, this week, that the second edition of the “very special consultative forum” was a testament to the importance that management and the Board of KATH attached to the forum.
He indicated that the forum was initiated to consciously seek the inputs and commitment of Senior Specialists and Consultants in making KATH a true centre of excellence in the delivery of specialist clinical care, training and research.
He announced that the maiden edition of the forum held last year laid the foundation for meaningful conversations, actionable insights, and strengthened connections among the various stakeholders who participated in that historic event and hoped the second edition of the forum will provide the opportunity to build on last year’s momentum and chart more ambitious course for the hospital going forward.
According to Prof. Addai-Mensah, the decision to settle on the theme, was a conscious one, noting that “these are not just an abstract concepts, they are ideals we must strive to achieve by creating the platform to actively seek and acknowledge the invaluable insights and expertise of Senior Specialists and Consultants in reshaping the way we deliver specialist services at the hospital”.
The Chief Executive Officer further disclosed that the New KATH Agenda is to make the hospital the most patient-friendly facility in the country through the provision of specialist and sub-specialist services that meet and even exceed the expectations of our clients and pledged management’s commitment to creating the right environment for the delivery of enhanced service outputs.
According to Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, he pledged at last year’s forum that subsequent forum will not be a “talking shop” and that management will pursue with religious commitment, the institution of the requisite action plans on all the propositions and decisions generated following which considerable progress has been made by management in the implementation of most of the decisions.
The Special Guest Speaker, Dr. DaCosta Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) disclosed that his outfit is in “its best times” ever since its establishment in 2004.
He disclosed that as at 2016, the NHIA had an outstanding debt of GHC1.2 million, which the NDC government never paid but has currently been paid off adding that currently, the authority begs facilities to submit their “claims” for payments.
He announced that an amount of GHC800 million has been released to facilities, with KATH receiving a full payment of GHC 21 million.
According to Dr. Aboagye, the NHIA, which has been more of “curative” healthcare, would now be more of “preventive”, one as part of the NHIA benefit package from 2025.
He added that the government is committed to providing free dialysis sessions to all Ghanaians, emphasising that it can be done without any problem, based on numbers and data and stressed that there will be dialysis treatment centres at all the Agenda 111 hospitals.
Dr. DaCosta Aboagye indicated that, “Ghana Card” holds the key to “Universal Healthcare Coverage” and that Ghanaians can integrate their information on the card, with NHIA by dialing “*929#” on their phones, for which the NHIA has realised funds to the National Identification Authority, to help register people in the 6-14 year group.
This, he said, will help “formalise” the system, where every Ghanaian will pay tax, direct or indirectly.
From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi
