Ghana has received a $20 million grant from Japan to strengthen healthcare delivery in the Northern Region.
The "Project for the Improvement of the Northern Region's Healthcare System" will include facility development and equipment purchase for the Tamale Central Hospital, as well as equipment for the Northern Regional Health Directorate's biomedical engineering department.
It will also help three district hospitals in the region expand their capacity. The Savelugu Municipal Hospital, as well as the Bimbilla and Kpandai District Hospitals, are among them.
Agreement
Ghana and Japan inked an agreement to that effect on May 11, 2022 in Accra.
Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MOFARI), signed on behalf of the government, while the Japanese signed. Hisanobu Mochizuki, Japan's ambassador to Ghana, signed the document on behalf of the Japanese government.
The ceremony was attended by Mahama Asei Seini, Deputy Minister of Health, MOFARI officials, Katsumura Akihisa, First Secretary for Development Cooperation at the Japan Embassy, and Araki Yasumichi, JICA Country Representative.
Appreciation
Mr Sarpong thanked the Japanese government and people for their assistance and continued support for the country's socioeconomic growth, saying the project will help enhance the health system in the recipient region.
"As we all know, the region confronts huge health-care issues, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. I want to reassure the Japanese government and people that this funding will be put to good use," he continued.
The minister also expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for donating COVID-19 vaccinations through a COVAX facility.
Rationale
Last month, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana visited the Northern Region to inaugurate a Japan-funded initiative in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).
He said he went to the Tamale Central Hospital and spoke with the Regional Director of Health and the hospital's Medical Superintendent, who told him about the issues that the facility has in terms of effective administration.
"Today's event marks the start of a significant process that will address the Tamale Central Hospital's difficulties, including the enhancement of the referral system and other services such as maternity and child health care," says the statement.