Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has issued a stark warning to Boards of health institutions, urging them to strictly adhere to the boundaries of their oversight responsibilities and avoid interfering in the day-to-day administration of these vital institutions. He stated a clear separation between governance and management is crucial to preventing institutional conflicts, bolstering accountability, and ensuring efficient operations within the health sector, according to a statement issued on Sunday, August 16th, during the second day of the Ministry of Health’s High-Level Mid-Year Review Retreat in Ho, West Ghana. The training, a core component of efforts to strengthen governance structures across the health sector, focuses on corporate governance and the role of Boards in public health agencies.
Mr. Akandoh emphasized that the day-to-day running of an institution is not the responsibility of the Board or its members; he stressed that the Boards and their Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) should perform distinct but complementary functions. He further clarified that the Board’s primary role is oversight, not administrative control.
According to the Minister, effective governance necessitates that Boards and CEOs maintain a distinct but complementary function. He stressed that the Board’s responsibilities should not extend to the administrative functions of management. He explained that a clear delineation of roles is vital to preventing unnecessary interference in the daily operations of health institutions, allowing management teams to carry out their duties effectively. This, he stated, will facilitate accountability.
He pointed out that a proper understanding of these responsibilities will be critical for preventing unnecessary interference in the daily operations of health institutions and allow management teams to carry out their duties effectively. The Minister underscored the importance of this alignment for maintaining transparency and ensuring that institutions operate within defined legal and administrative frameworks.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of a strong relationship between good governance and prudent management of public resources. He stated that effective governance is necessary to ensure that state resources are deployed in ways that directly contribute to improving the well-being of Ghanaians. He urged health institutions to exercise greater caution in approving and undertaking expenditure, particularly in areas such as seminars, training programmes, and official travel, emphasizing that spending decisions must take account of Ghana’s resource constraints and be guided by necessity, efficiency, and the expected benefit to the health sector.
He also reiterated that spending decisions must take account of Ghana’s resource constraints and should be guided by necessity, efficiency, and the expected benefit to the health sector. Mr. Akandoh indicated that spending decisions must take account of Ghana’s resource constraints and should be guided by necessity, efficiency, and the expected benefit to the health sector. The Minister said spending decisions must take account of Ghana’s resource constraints and should be guided by necessity, efficiency, and the expected benefit to the health sector. He said that appropriate legal frameworks were important for providing clarity on the mandate, responsibilities and operational structures of health institutions. He said appropriate legal frameworks were important for providing clarity on the mandate, responsibilities and operational structures of health institutions. The Minister’s emphasis on LIs reflects his broader focus on establishing clearer governance arrangements within health agencies and ensuring that institutions operate within defined legal and administrative frameworks.
He said stronger governance structures would help institutions avoid practices that could result in infractions while promoting greater accountability. Mr. Akandoh concluded that the corporate governance training was intended to equip participants with the knowledge required to identify potential governance challenges and avoid institutional infractions. He emphasized that participants should leave the session with a stronger understanding of how Boards should function, how management should operate, and how both sides could work together without compromising their respective mandates. He encouraged participants to actively contribute to the training rather than treating it as a routine administrative exercise. He said a meaningful understanding of governance principles would support better decision-making and help health institutions improve accountability and management. The Minister maintained that clearly defined responsibilities, prudent use of public resources, and adherence to established governance principles were essential to ensuring that health institutions remained focused on their core mandate of serving the Ghanaian population. He urged participants to apply the lessons from the training in their respective institutions and ensure that governance arrangements translate into more accountable and effective management across the health sector.
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Source: MyJoyOnline
