Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the Director-General (DG) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has tasked the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) with extending its research into the causes of annual meningitis-related deaths in the region.
He stated that the GHS was determined to ensure no one died from meningitis in Ghana and charged the NHRC with the task of conducting research to provide evidence-based reasons for the annual fatalities.
Dr Akoriyea, who led a delegation of GHS officials and Council Members to the NHRC as part of a regional tour to raise awareness, emphasized that meningitis was a serious threat.
He stressed that health promotion and preventative measures were more critical than the cure itself.
The DG and his team also toured various laboratory installations at the Centre, where they interacted with management and staff.
He encouraged them to maintain the high professional standards and top-notch research output for which the NHRC was renowned.
He noted that President John Dramani Mahama, through the Sector Minister, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, had directed the GHS to ensure that no patient was charged for meningitis treatment.
Dr Akoriyea urged the public not to stay at home if they felt unwell, but instead, they should visit the nearest healthcare facility with their National Health Insurance cards to seek medical attention.
“Even if you don’t have a health insurance card, you will still be treated,” Dr Akoriyea assured.
He added that the GHS management has distributed medicines to affected regions, stressing, “We don’t expect anyone to die from this disease. For those who have passed, it is well-documented that they arrived at the hospital extremely late, and very little could be done. Some even died in transit.”
Dr Akoriyea expressed concern over the fatalities recorded in some regions, describing them as unfortunate. “Beyond the deaths already recorded, we don’t want any more,” he added.
Dr Patrick Odum Ansah, the Director of the NHRC, provided an overview of the Centre’s operations.
He thanked the DG and his team for the visit and reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to providing continued professionalism and expertise in health research.
Following the visit to the NHRC, the DG and his team stopped at the War Memorial Hospital and interacted with staff at the Out-Patient Department (OPD), as well as the paediatric and maternity wards, encouraging them to continue delivering their best in healthcare service.
