The Ghana District Directors of Health Services Group have begun their 28th annual conference at Ho in the Volta Region with a call to work hard despite the Covid-19 pandemic challenges. 

The Deputy Director-General, Dr Anthony Ofosu noted that the District Directors of health services play very critical role in the delivery of health services to the general public.

Dr Ofosu noted that leadership is key to the effective and efficient performance of the health sector. 

He said the country has done well in the reduction of figures of the Covid cases according to the dashboard of the Ghana Health Service. 

He commended the District Health Directors Group for their tireless efforts towards the delivery of essential health services to the people despite the risks associated with their work in the Covid-19 pandemic era.

"Or Directors of health services have done tremendously well even in the midst of the covid outbreak," Dr Anthony Ofosu said. 

Dr Ofosu said there has been a challenge of denominators for the generation of indicators but thankfully the census has been helpful in solving the issue.  

He added that there is a need for quality data is essential for decision making. 

He said the Ghana Health Service, in order to facilitate the year on year generation of new denominators, would collaborate with the Birth and Death Registry and the National Identification Authority for the registration of all newborns and issue them national identification numbers.

Dr Anthony Ofosu advised the leadership of the DDHS to make that there is a continuity of all essential health services as well as the fight against Covid-19. 

The National Chairman of the DDHS, Dr Bedimu Duut in his speech said the DDHS are important in the achievement of the SDG goals on health. 

"With the 20 million Ghanaians targeted to be immunized against Covid-19 it would take this group to help achieve this and to sustain the delivery of essential health services to the general population in the midst of the pandemic," he said. 

Dr Bedimu Duut noted that some Regional Directors see the group of District Directors of health as threats in some regions adding that "we are there to support the Regional Directors achieve their objectives.

"I think Dr Letsa is the chairman of the RFs forum and an experienced regional director will help address the issues, " Dr Bedimu said. 

He said even though they are ready to sacrifice for the betterment of the service, management should also motivate them and provide the necessary infrastructure.

The Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area who was the chairman for the program, Torgbe Tepre Hodo IV urged policymakers to have better ways to improve the health delivery in the country. 

He admonished political leaders and others who seek medical treatment outside Ghana to rather put effort into providing adequate equipment in the various hospitals and health facilities in the country instead of always traveling outside for medical care.