The Service has marked the 2026 National Patient Safety Day in Accra with a renewed call for safer healthcare delivery, particularly for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The celebration, held under the theme “Safe Care for Non-Communicable Diseases: Safe Care for Life,” brought together health sector stakeholders and development partners to highlight the need to reduce avoidable harm and strengthen patient safety across the continuum of care.
Chairing the event which took place at the Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa Conference Hall, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Robert Amesiya noted that patient safety was of utmost importance, given the complexity of healthcare delivery and the number of health professionals and processes involved in caring for patients.
Dr. Amesiya observed that the increasing burden of NCDs made patient safety even more critical, as patients with chronic conditions often required lifelong interaction with the health system, a trend he noted that the implementation of the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) programme would provide an opportunity to detect NCDs earlier through its preventive and community-based approach.
In addition, he noted that the expansion of primary healthcare would also mean that patient safety considerations must extend beyond hospitals into communities, where an increasing proportion of healthcare would be delivered.
The Director of the Institutional Care Division of the Service, Dr. Lawrence Ofori Boadu, in his welcome address, reiterated that every patient deserved safe and effective healthcare, and called for sustained efforts to reduce avoidable harm in healthcare delivery and expressed appreciation to partners supporting patient safety initiatives.
Dr. Fiona Braka, the WHO Country Representative reaffirmed the organisation's support for Ghana's efforts to strengthen patient safety, noting that safe care was central to achieving positive health outcomes.
Dr. Braka observed that NCDs were contributing significantly to premature deaths while placing increasing demands on health systems, making coordinated action on patient safety essential.
In a solidarity speech, partners including the World Patients Alliance,Wateraid,PharmAccess, Jhpiego, Safecare, also commended the GHS for its leadership in promoting patient safety and encouraged continued collaboration among stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Amaning Danquah commended the GHS and its partners and called for renewed commitment to building robust systems and processes that protect patients from avoidable harm.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General of the Service, Dr. Caroline Reindorf-Amissah, said the observance provided an opportunity to reflect on patient safety across the entire healthcare journey.
She noted that NCD management required sustained interaction between patients and healthcare providers, making safety, quality and continuity of care particularly important.
Dr. Reindorf-Amissah said the FPHC programme could be a game changer for patient navigation by improving access to primary healthcare while strengthening prevention, early detection and referral.
She further explained that the programme would help identify illnesses earlier and facilitate referrals for patients requiring higher levels of care, while potentially reducing out-of-pocket expenditure through improved access to primary healthcare.
However, she stressed that access alone was not enough to guarantee safe and quality care, identifying areas such as infection prevention and control, WASH, clean healthcare environments, effective information sharing, respect and dignity as important elements of patient safety.
She therefore, urged healthcare workers to demonstrate kindness and empathy in their interactions with patients and called on all stakeholders within the health ecosystem to play their part in creating a safe environment for every Ghanaian.
Dr. Reindorf-Amissah subsequently launched the 2026 National Patient Safety Day campaign, dubbed the “Orange Moment,” signalling the commencement of activities to raise awareness and strengthen commitment to patient safety.
The programme was supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), Jhpiego, WaterAid, Alpa Health Group, World Patients Alliance, PharmAccess, SafeCare and other organisations working in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).