Dr Dzakpasu Highlights Importance of Workforce Commitment in Achieving 24-Hour Healthcare

According to ghana news agency: The Role of the Health Workforce," highlighted the need for a shift from reactive hospital-based care to proactive preventive care. Dr Dzakpasu stressed that healthcare workers are vital to achieving the goal of 24-hour quality-focused Free Primary Healthcare (PHC) and NCD control. He referred to them as the drivers of all policies and the heartbeat of PHC, responsible for detection, treatment, prevention, and education on health issues. He pointed out that the main challenge is not access to care, but access to timely, high-quality care provided by well-supported and sustained healthcare professionals. He urged health managers to address workforce issues such as burnout, inadequate motivation, supervision gaps, and uneven skill distribution. Dr Dzakpasu emphasized the importance of workforce welfare to improve performance and posed critical questions about the true nature of 24-hour healthcare systems, the consistency of quality care across facilities, proactive disease prev ention, and the empowerment and support of the health workforce. Prof Fred Newton Binka, Chairman of the Ghana Health Service Council, also noted that primary healthcare services are expanding with a focus on prevention and health promotion. However, he acknowledged challenges in capacity building and staff recruitment. He highlighted the importance of supportive supervision and worker welfare to prevent demotivation among healthcare staff. Prof Margaret Kweku, a member of the Volta Regional Health Committee, shared experiences from her medical practice to underscore the importance of compassion and empathy in patient care. She encouraged collaboration with local authorities and non-governmental organizations for effective healthcare delivery. The performance review brought together health managers, stakeholders, and development partners to evaluate healthcare delivery performance from the past year and strategize on improving health outcomes. Togbe Gabusu VII, representing the President of the Volta Regio nal House of Chiefs, also attended the event.