Catholic Health Service Trust urged to strengthen collaboration with government

Techiman, (BE/R)-Ghana, Feb. 04, GNA – Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, the Presidential Co-Ordinator of the Government’s Coronavirus Response Programme has called on the Catholic Health Service Trust, Ghana (CHSTG) to strengthen collaboration with the government to help achieve significant health outcomes.
He said the Trust ought to be more proactive in health policy discussions, debates, and implementation at all levels.
The CHSTG must also remain a credible and reliable partner of the Christian Health Association Ghana (CHAG), but not a competitor, Dr Asamoa-Baah stated at the inauguration of the CHSTG in Techiman, the Bono East Regional capital.
The Ghana Catholics Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) approved the National Catholics Health Services (NCHS) in 2022, as a corporate Trust with the name CHSTG and chaired by the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese.
Other members include the Mt Rev Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, the Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Mt Rev Gabriel Kumordji, the Catholic Bishop of Donkorkrom Vicariate, as well as Dr (Mrs) Emily Boakye Yiadom and Mr Victor Gborglah.
Dr Asamoa-Baah said financial sustainability remained a huge challenge confronting the Catholic Health Service because external support had been dwindling, while the National Health Insurance Authority had also been slowed and delayed in the payment of claims.
He commended the government for providing monthly salaries to health workers in the mission sector.
The Mt Rev. Dominic Yeboah Nyarko, the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese said the transformation of the National Catholic Health Service into a Trust was very significant, saying it would mark the rebirth of the health services in the Catholic Church.
This would greatly help reposition the Church’s health services to continue providing high-quality healthcare delivery to the poor, sick and the marginalized in society.
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Techiman North Constituency, commended the Church for its invaluable contribution towards quality healthcare delivery in the country.
The Catholic Church has extended health care to communities where the government had not reached out, she added.