The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has designated officers at regional and district hospitals across the country to assist persons living with disabilities (PWDs) who seek medical care.
These officers will support PWDs throughout their visit from the outpatient department through consultation, pharmacy, and accounts, helping them navigate the system efficiently and avoid long queues.
This initiative is part of efforts to enhance inclusive healthcare delivery.
Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Acting Director-General of GHS, announced this during a meeting with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations and other PWD groups. The discussion focused on strengthening collaboration to improve accessibility to healthcare services at all levels.
“Some of these officers might be able to understand sign language, and as such, they will be able to interpret for persons with hearing impairment.
“One of the important things is not just to help them to go by the queue, but to help them till they leave the hospital, whether they go to the pharmacy, on admission, right till when they are discharged, they will be supported.”, he said
Regional health directors have been directed to implement the initiative immediately, and a team will be stationed at the GHS headquarters to serve the same purpose.
“This is a programme, not a project, and I hope that whoever comes after me will take it up as well.
“We don’t want these things to be like a project, which has a beginning and an end. Disability is not inability, and the disabled people are Ghanaians; they were born by us, and they are family members, so we can’t say we are doing a project, and then after that, it collapses,” he added.
He further disclosed that the GHS, in collaboration with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), would soon launch another initiative targeting children with disabilities to ensure no one is left behind.
As part of the broader programme, the GHS Health Promotion Department will be tasked with advocating against the stigmatization of PWDs and ensuring that perpetrators face consequences.
Mr. Alexander Bankole Williams, Technical Coordinating Officer for Legal Affairs at the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, commended the GHS for the initiative. However, he urged those assigned to assist PWDs to be properly trained to provide effective and compassionate care.
He also called for healthcare professionals to receive specialized training on handling PWDs and dispensing medications appropriately.
Additionally, Mr Williams stressed the need for accessibility in medical products, suggesting that medications be labelled with Braille and that hospitals import adjustable beds and other accessible medical equipment.
The group further advocated for enhanced communication support for people with hearing impairments and increased employment opportunities for PWDs within the health sector.
Mr. Joseph Atsu Homadzi, President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, appreciated the Director-General’s commitment to inclusion. He recommended that identified challenges be classified as short-term and long-term priorities to ensure structured improvements over the next few years.
Mr. Yang Bomin, KOFIH’s Country Representative, highlighted his organization’s ongoing projects in Ghana and revealed plans to launch a new initiative providing assistive devices for children with disabilities.
Following the meeting, participants toured the National Prosthetics and Orthotics Centre to assess ongoing work and explore ways to improve the facility.
