The Director General of the Service Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea has secured 80,000 pairs of specialized shoes from World Shoes Limited and Samaritan’s Feet with funding support from Sanford Health for use by health care workers as part of the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative.
Presenting the items on behalf of Sanford Health, World Shoes Limited and Samaritan’s Feet, Dr. Kojo Taylor, president of Sanford Health Ghana and World Shoe Limited reflected on a 15 year collaborative journey dedicated to strengthening healthcare systems in Ghana. He shared moving personal anecdotes including how a nurse’s persistence saved his mother, to underscore that healthcare is ultimately defined by the dedicated people who show up everyday to care for others. Dr. Taylor celebrated the milestone partnership enabling the presentation of the shoes , noting that the gesture aims to protect, comfort and honor the tireless effort of Ghanaian nurses, midwives, and community health workers who walk long distances to deliver care.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Service, Director-General, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, expressed his profound gratitude to Sanford Health, World Shoes Limited and Samaritan’s Feet for the historic donation. He recounted his long standing relationship with the president of Sanford Health, Mr Taylor which started 15years ago when he was a director of Institutional Care Division which has now given birth to this partnership.
He reminded the gathering of the vital role health workers play as the backbone of the national health system and outlined significant milestones achieved under the Free Primary Healthcare policy, noting that over 3.2 million clients have successfully been registered , with over 15,000 community-level implementation actively reaching vulnerable populations.
Dr. Kaba Akoriyea stressed that these are not ordinary shoes but specially engineered antimicrobial footwears designed to protect healthcare workers in remote and underserved communities , assuring partners that a transparent and equitable distribution framework will be enforced across all regions so the footwears reach the nurses, midwives and community health workers who need them most.
Speaking on behalf of Stanford World Clinic, the vice president, Ms. Karolina Slack emphasized that true healthcare is measured by human connection, compassion, and the willingness to stand beside frontline healthworkers during their most demanding moments. She paid glowing tribute to nurses and midwives who walk long distances and endure grueling shifts, noting that presenting this specialized footwear is a tangible expression of gratitude and support for their safety.
In a related speech, the chairman of World Shoe Limited and Samaritan’s Feet, spoke on resilience, global collaboration and the fundamental right to protected footwear. Drawing from his childhood experiences, he emphasized the grassroots partnerships between local health authorities and international visionaries can transform public health landscapes. he reaffirmed his commitment to expanding the local manufacturing of eco-friendly, durable footwear right here in Africa, ensuring long term sustainability, dignity and health equity.
In attendance at the handing over ceremony was the Regional Director of Health Services for Greater Accra, Dr. Robert Amesiya and his deputies, the Municipal Director of Health Services Dr. Efua Commeh, District Directors of Health services for Ayawaso East, Krowor, Ningo Prampram and Ada East, Medical Suprintendents for Madina Polyclinic Rawlings Circle and Kekele, and staff of selected facilities under the La-Nkwantanang Municipal Directorates.