GHS sets up disability desks at Regional and District hospitals

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has activated a Persons with Disability (PwDs) desk at all Regional and District Health facilities across the country to cater for all their health needs.

The directive, according to the Director General of the GHS, Prof Samuel Kaba, will ensure the inclusivity of the wellbeing of persons with disability. He was speaking during an engagement with members of the Ghana Federation of Disability organizations on issues bordering on their access to healthcare.

Persons living with Disability in Ghana constitute about 8% of the country’s population according to the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census report. This group remain marginalized and sidelined in the implementation of several interventions.

In the health sector, key among their concerns is the unprofessional handling of PWDs by healthcare personnel, the lack of professional interpreters at the hospitals among a mirage of issues hindering their access to quality healthcare.

The executives of the Ghana Federation of Disability organizations asked the GHS boss to prioritise their needs.

President of the Federation, Joseph Atsu Hormadzi, wants other heads of agencies to emulate the initiative in the bid to have inclusivity.

“All we want is access to quality healthcare. I want to commend Professor for this engagement. All we want is to be treated with some dignity. The way the healthcare workers speak to us. No interpreters around. All this must be addressed for us. Employment of PWDs in the healthcare system, the dispensing of medications, adjustable beds. And we will want all other government agencies to emulate this and bring us onboard so that we will feel included in decision making processes,” he requested.

The Director General of the GHS, Prof Samuel Kaba, after taking the group through the national prosthetics and orthotics clinics to witness the renovation of the center that produces the orthopedic devices, assured of governments’ commitment to ensure they have quality and dignified lives.

“One of the immediate things we want to tackle among their concern is to create the special desk for them at the regional and district hospitals. The person will not only see to it that they don’t que but all the way through until they leave the facility. They will also be able to do the sign language. I have already engaged the Regional Directors about it, and it starts immediately. I will also be informing the Minister of Health about the intervention and see how other private health facilities can be brought on board. I have worked with them for long and I believe the right thing must be done. It’s also dear on the heart of the President to see that they get access to quality healthcare,” he said.

The national center which was recently renovated by the Korean government has plans of including the production of devices suitable for children.

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