It should come up with strategic plans to increase funds mobilization to promote quality healthcare.

Addressing the opening of a three-day annual performance review meeting of the Regional Health Directorate in Kumasi, he underlined the need to also cut down on waste and ensure efficiency in financial resource management.

“An efficient financial management entails and not limited to avoiding waste, but the service overseeing and governing its income, expenses and assets and ensuring sustainability.”

The meeting was held under the theme “Efficient financial management – A tool for achieving SDG 3”.

In attendance were directors of the health ministry, district health directors, medical superintendents, heads of facilities operated by faith-based organizations, private facilities, officials of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and chiefs.

Mr. Osei Mensah noted that the health sector played critical role in the socio-economic development of every society and said it was for this reason that the government would go the extra mile to promote health care delivery and make it accessible to all Ghanaians.

He acknowledged that significant progress had been made in the effort to increase life expectancy and reduce some common diseases that caused child and maternal mortality, but said, stronger efforts were needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and  tackle the emerging health issues.

He expressed optimism that with commitment of all stakeholders, health care delivery could be taken to a higher level.

The Regional Minister applauded the health workers for the good job they were doing to save lives and asked that this was sustained.

Madam Ramatu Ude Umanta, Director of Finance of the GHS, called for regular training to consistently update the finance staff on key issues in financial management.

She indicated that mismanagement of resources would not be possible without tacit cooperation of key management staff.

She called for the accountants to lead the way to prevent waste, bring transparency and boost the confidence of development partners, saying, they “must be motivated to do so”.

Dr. Alexis Nang-Beifubah, the Regional Health Director, complained about delays in the payment of national health insurance claims and said that was making things tough for the health facilities.

He added that the situation had led to huge indebtedness to the regional medical stores by service providers and this was gradually crippling its operation.