Policy Documents

Transport is a crucial component of service delivery in the Ghana Health Service(GHS). It is used to convey logistics, run administrative errands, provide outreach services and carry out patient referrals. As a result, the Service commits a substantial amount of money for the provision of its transportation needs such as procuring new vehicles, running and maintenance, transport logistics, human resources, etc. In addition, the donor community provides substantial funds for the acquisition of new vehicles to support the delivery of health services in the GHS.

ESTATE MANAGEMENT UNIT MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTIVE MANUAL

Medical Devices are a very essential component of healthcare delivery in Ghana Health Service. They are used for safe and effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of illnesses and diseases. Currently, there is no policy document for the management of medical devices in Ghana Health Service. This policy seeks to ensure that medical devices are managed effectively and efficiently in compliance with existing laws and regulations.

Although evidence shows that there has been some reduction in both infant and under-five mortality rates in Ghana, it is unlikely that the 2015 target of reducing the child mortality rates will be easily met. This is because though Ghana has progressed on reduction of under-five mortality till 20081, there has been a reversal in reduction of under-five mortality over the last five years2. The main underlying cause is stagnation and even an increase in neonatal mortality, which increased from 30 to 32 per 1000 live births. Neonatal deaths have thus become an important component of under-five deaths, accounting for as high as 40% of under-five mortality in Ghana2. They now constitute a major cause of concern and need to be addressed urgently.

In 2010, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and its implementing agency the Ghana Health Service (GHS) developed standards and tools for establishing adolescent and youth-friendly health services as part of its efforts to implement its Adolescent Health and Development Programme for Ghana. For over a decade, provision of services for youth has been informed by these standards, however there are still challenges to be addressed to ensure that adolescents and youth get quality health services to meet their specific needs

THREE POLICY DOCUMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED 1. IGF GUIDELINES 2. PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ACT 2016, ACT921 3. ACCOUNTING TREASURY AND FINANCIAL RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

The GHS, as a corporate body is charged with the implementation of approved national policies for health delivery in Ghana. The Service provides preventive, curative and restorative care; and also undertakes health promotion activities across the country.

To provide and prudently manage comprehensive and accessible quality health services with emphasis on Primary Health Care in accordance with approved national policies.

T he discipline of “Health promotion” has struggled over the years in Ghana and elsewhere to gain due recognition as a technical health discipline. This under-recognition has been influenced largely by the pervasive traditional medical model of health which is based on provision of clinical treatment services in fixed facilities to already self-motivated patients.

A national standard for newborn services is critical in providing guidelines to health facility managers, doctors, and nurses for planning and improving the quality of services provided for newborns. The opening chapter provides a list of Standard Statements that sets the tone for the quality of service provision expected of health care facilities. Subsequent chapters provide guidelines on minimum recommended standards at each level of the health care delivery chain, from the CHPS compound to the tertiary hospital. The final chapter contains charts for monitoring healthy and sick newborns during their stay in the health facility. Annexes contain information on infection prevention and control (IPC) and on laboratory services.