“Health Minister’s Always Dodge Us”

The National President of Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners, Ghana (SPMDP) Dr. Kwasi Odoi-Agyarko, has expressed worry over the absence of the Health Minister, Sherry Ayittey at their 35^th Annual General Congress.

According to him, the absence of the Minister is not the first time Health Ministers have boycotted their meetings and said it a great worry to the society.

Dr. Odo-Agyarko was speaking at the 35^th Annual General Congress of the society in Sunyani under the theme: “Healthy Ageing”. He emphasized that, the CIA fact book on Ghana (February 2013) and the recently published 2010 Ghana Housing Population census, 6.7% of the country’s population are aged 60years and above and Ghana will have to broach its future needs for the aging population by the well traveled approach of the developed countries with the necessary modifications.

He mentioned that the United Nations has classified societies broadly into ‘young’ (4% or less of those aged 60+), matured (4-7%) and “ageing” (7% and above).
“According to this definition Ghana is presently falling under the category of ‘matured’ society which will soon reach the status of “ageing” society by 2020AD”, he added.

The President of SPMDP said the private sector is poised and ready to take challenge, however they must engage in a stakeholder consultative meeting to address the challenges in macroeconomics and health system of Ghana.
He added that the Health Minister’s name will be in a prominent place in the annals of Ghana’s Health Sector if she is able to help solve the many challenges in the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the Health Minister, the Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Appiah Danchira, said looking at the SPMDP one can say they are a microcosm of what the nation stands to be as the country pursue the policies targeted at increasing longevity.

The minister said the theme for the congress was interesting and challenging especially for the nation as it moves conscientiously into middle-income status and the government continues to pursue the better Ghana Agenda which will ultimately translate to better living conditions and prolong longevity and therefore affect positively the national average life expectancy.
She said available statistics in Ghana shows that life expectancy now stands at 64.22years.

She said the interest and the challenge in the positive attribute of an increased life expectancy is that it calls for serious policy decisions affecting the aged.

The Minister said it was her wish that the society deliberate well on their chosen theme, got the findings and recommendations so that after the congress it will inform the Ministry’s policy directions.

From Vivianna Mensah, Sunyani