Economist Dr David Kofi Mawuvi Wuaku has called for bold and strategic private sector investments to transform healthcare delivery in the Volta and Oti Regions.

Speaking as the Special Guest at the 2025 Ghana Medical Association (GMA) Volta and Oti Regions’ Dinner and Awards Night, Dr Wuaku, who’s also a pastor, described the theme, “Improving Quality of Care for Clients in the Volta and Oti Regions: The Role of Private Sector Investments,” as both timely and urgent.

“Healthcare is not just a social good; it is a fundamental pillar of national development,” he stated, adding, “No single sector can meet the demands of quality healthcare alone. Strategic partnerships are essential to leverage resources and unlock innovation.”

Challenges and Opportunities

Dr Wuaku outlined persistent challenges facing healthcare in the two regions—poor infrastructure, limited access to specialist services, shortages of medical supplies, and high patient-to-doctor ratios. However, he emphasised that these were not barriers but opportunities for creative and strategic investment.

He urged stakeholders to move beyond viewing the private sector as merely a funding source and instead embrace it as a partner that brings innovation, customer-centric services, and performance-driven management to healthcare.

Key Investment Areas

Dr Wuaku identified several areas where private investment could significantly improve healthcare delivery:

• Infrastructure: Building modern hospitals and clinics in rural areas.
• Medical Technology: Introducing digital diagnostics and telemedicine platforms.
• Public-Private Partnerships: Integrating private services within public systems.
• Capacity Building: Training and retaining healthcare professionals.
• Health Financing: Expanding micro-insurance and fintech solutions.
• Pharmaceuticals: Boosting local production and distribution.
• Medical Tourism: Developing towns like Ho and Kpando as health hubs.

He cited faith-based institutions such as Margret Marquart Hospital in Kpando and Catholic health facilities in Dodi Papase and Sogakope as successful models, along with diagnostic centres like SkyLab and Medifem.

“These actors are proof that, with the right environment, private investment can thrive and transform lives,” he said.

A Strategy for Action

To drive private sector participation, Dr Wuaku proposed a three-pronged strategy:

1.Policy Reform and Incentives – Including tax breaks and fast-tracked accreditation.

2. Partnership over Competition – Encouraging collaboration across public and private stakeholders.
3. Prudent Regulation – Upholding ethical and professional standards through effective oversight.

Honouring Healthcare Workers

Dr Wuaku praised frontline professionals for turning “capital into care, equipment into healing, and structures into sanctuaries of hope.” As several practitioners received awards, he reminded all present of the need to keep the human touch at the heart of healthcare.

A Shared Mission

He ended on a passionate note, urging stakeholders to reimagine the regions not as underserved peripheries but as ripe grounds for impactful health investment.
“We owe it to the market women in Anloga, the fishermen in Keta, the teachers in Nkwanta, and the farmers in Kadjebi and Peki. Let us build a healthcare system that truly cares. Together, we can. Together, we must.”

The GMA Volta and Oti Awards Night, held at Sky Plus Hotel in Ho, brought together health professionals, policymakers, and private sector players to celebrate excellence and chart a path towards improved healthcare delivery.