Koforidua, July 27, GNA - Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyrirah, Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), on Wednesday advised health workers to guard against negative acts that could undermine provision of quality health care in the country. He challenged health workers to ensure that they deliver services at a= n acceptable quality, reduce time wasting and provide privacy to patients who visit their premises. Dr Appiah-Denkyrirah said this when inaugurating a GH¢200,000 Hospit= al built by the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Koforidua on Wednesday. The facility was started in March 2005 as a clinic and later developed into a full hospital with the provision of additional infrastructure and equipment.

He said the GHS would not tolerate any health worker who was not prepared to abide by the code of the profession adding that the only alternative for that individual was to quit the profession. Dr Appiah-Denkyirah said the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the GHS had developed the Community Health Programme Service (CHPS) concept to get health care delivery nearer to the people at villages and towns during the day and night. He said the GHS was working hard to achieve the Millennium Challenge Goals by ensuring a reduction of the mortality rate among children and to reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent. Dr Appiah-Denkyrirah said in achieving those objectives there was the need for partnership and collaboration with relevant agencies such as Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) who had put up hospitals, clinics, and health centres across the country. He commended the SDA Church on its contributions to health care delivery in the country.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, in a speech read on his behalf said the Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSRDA) sought to make it possible for majority of Ghanaians to enjoy a better quality of life. He said it was against that background that he welcomed the establishment of the hospital in the municipality. The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Nana Henaku-Larbi, said the hospital had such facilities as an Out Patients Department (OPD), a pharmac= y department, a medical records department, a theatre, male and female wards, special ward and children's ward. He said as part of the five-year strategic planning, departments such as radiology, ophthalmology and dentistry would be added unto it. The President of the East Ghana Conference of the SDA Church, Pastor Adu Twuamasi Ankrah, on his part, said currently the church operates 11 hospitals, 10 Clinics, three training institutions and a pharmacy unit across the country.