Health Minister designate, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye says he has the intention to continue the work of his predecessor, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.

According to Dr. Boye, he has his priorities but believes that continuing the work of the former Health Minister is key for a smooth and effective tenure, considering the limited time left for the current government.

On February 14, President Akufo-Addo reshuffled his cabinet and nominated Dr. Okoe Boye to take over the role of Health Minister from Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who has served in the role since 2017.

If approved by Parliament, Dr. Okoe Boye, who served as Deputy Health Minister from 2020 to 2021, will be in charge of the ministry.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Dr Okoe expressed his intention to continue the ongoing projects of the former Health Minister.

 “But sometimes it is not the programmes you introduce into a sector that makes people happy or improve the state of mind, it is the relationship and addressing basic things which do not require resources necessarily but require attention and offering protocols and this is going to be my major priority.”

Dr. Okoe Boye stated that progress in the health sector requires not only implementing new initiatives but also building strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as healthcare professionals.

“When I went to Korle Bu, what I did was that I sat with those who have been there for a long time and most of them have a fair idea what the problems are, what it ought to be done and what to put in. As I speak to you, I’ve spoken to the Ghana Medical Association President and some of the Executives.”

“I’ve not gone for the vetting but informally, I’m like guys, let’s sit down, what do you want, where do we get to? What must be done? The first approach is to talk to the people in the field,” he said.

Dr. Okoe Boye admitted that the short timeframe before the end of the government's term would make it difficult to implement major infrastructure projects

However, he said that he was confident that meaningful change can be achieved even within a short period, through targeted initiatives and strategic partnerships