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Former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, has advocated that the leadership of the country and all its appointees should not be allowed to seek medical attention outside the country if the health delivery system must improve.

”If we allow everybody to go out, of course they won’t care about improving our health service because, after all, they wouldn't use it,” he declared.

Addressing members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) at their 17th annual public lecture in Takoradi on Friday, the pathologist descended heavily on successive Ghanaian leaders for paying leap service to quality health service delivery in Ghana.

He said two reasons could easily be identified as the contributory factors to the poor performance of the sector despite the numerous promises made by successive governments – corruption and lack of commitment by leadership.

“The poor health service delivery in the country could have improved drastically if our leaders were patronising health service here and working to promote its development.

“Sadly, our leaders don't trust the service delivery being offered hence the decision to seek for proper care outside of the country at the least opportunity. How would such an important sector if the people at the helm of affairs are only interested in seeking their own welfare?”

On the issue of corruption Professor Akosa accused successive Ministers of Health for indulging in corruption rather than engaging in proper management of the scanty health sector resources to benefit Ghanaians.

"Let me say this - and I will say it without blinking an eye - many Health Ministers come to make money for themselves.
“They don’t come to make sure that the health system really thrives. And don’t think that there is no money in the health sector. There is plenty, plenty money”.

He told the gathering that when he was the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, he fought hard to control the central medical stores but to no avail.

“A lot of rot goes on there and no wonder somebody decided to set the place ablaze because if you get evidence of what goes on at the central medical stores, you will be shocked to the marrow.

“People were using it for their own private business at the expense of this country as far as I am concerned,whoever caused that fire should not be spared because it was a deliberate act to cover up a lot of corrupt practices”.

On the issue of funding health sector programs to improve activities, he said Ghana was still far behind.

"When some countries are providing as much as $4000 per capita, thus per head for health, we are providing $100 and you think that your health system will be the same?”

He said the country's health care financing system requires a holistic approach, hence the need to take a critical look at sources for adequate financing modules.

"If we were prepared and the revenue comes, we will know how to use the revenue and the health sector will benefit," he declared