According to ghana news agency:ccording to Ghana News Agency, on April 29, 2019, the Volta Regional Hospital, also known as Trafalgar, was upgraded to a tertiary hospital and designated as Ho Teaching Hospital. This upgrade was intended to facilitate the training of allied health scientists from the University of Health and Allied Sciences, a university established in 2012 to focus on health professional training, as well as to serve patients seeking tertiary health services.
However, Togbe Anikpi III, Dufia of Ho-Heve, who spoke on behalf of the chiefs, expressed concerns that the hospital's current condition does not meet the expectations of a teaching hospital. He noted that while HTH carries a 'teaching' title, its impact is limited due to a lack of critical equipment and essential services. He specifically mentioned the non-functional MRI machine, constructed almost a decade ago, which forces patients to seek MRI services in Accra and other locations.
Togbe Anikpi emphasized the importance of addressing inadequacies at HTH, including infrastructure, equipment, and specialists, to ensure it fulfills its intended purpose. He also highlighted the issue of unemployed nursing graduates from Ho's nursing training school, who remain on waiting lists for years despite being qualified, describing this as a waste of skills needed in the region.
In response, Mr. Akandoh assured the chiefs of the government's commitment to addressing challenges faced by health facilities nationwide, including those at HTH. He mentioned the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) levy as a step towards improving funding for health services. The Minister noted that in 2024, about GHS10 billion was collected in NHIS levy, but only GHS6 billion was allocated to the Authority, with the rest going to the Consolidated Fund. He emphasized the need for NHIS funds to remain within the health sector.
Mr. Akandoh also discussed efforts to address the issue of unemployed graduates, mentioning that the government had recruited some health professionals, including nurses, since coming into office in 2025. He urged unemployed nurses to consider volunteerism, with promises of stipends and priority recruitment when finances allow. Additionally, he noted potential discussions on reviewing admission quotas for nursing training institutions to align training with available resources and improve graduate recruitment.
The Health Minister's entourage included the Volta Regional Minister, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Deputy Director-General of Ghana Health Service, the Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana, and the Volta Regional Director of Health Service.