Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, Minister of Health, has donated a fully equipped ambulance to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) to help improve operations. He explained that the donation was intended to enable the facility to provide high-quality healthcare. The Minister made the donation during a working visit to acquaint himself with the operations of the Centre. He stressed that ensuring collaboration between hospitals and stakeholders would go to improve service delivery in the health sector, saying 'That is why we are bringing stakeholders together including health workers, the media and everybody onboard to make it work.' The minister also pledged to support health facilities across the country to provide quality healthcare to the public. 'Any health facility in Ghana, be it public, private, or quasi, once they engage in an activity which makes the Ghanaian happy, then the face of healthcare is a good one… and that is why the Ministry of Health has decided not to distinguish between any of the f acilities. 'Once you are a health facility, your conduct becomes the face of the Ministry and that is the approach that we are going to take,' he added. The Minister said the ministry would do its best to give the UGMC the needed support to make it the best healthcare facility in the sub-region. 'We are going to do our best to support you so that you can be the best not only in West Africa but beyond. So, for me, my task is to see how we can increase your throughput, how more people can come in so that the world will know of the investment.' He said that the facility was a testament to the investment the country had made in the healthcare sector. Dr. Okoe-Boye said the government intends to adopt an appointment system for consultations or Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in all public hospitals across the country this year. 'Why should we be in a country where we walk into a hospital without knowing when the doctor will be available? 'With digitalization and technology, these are things we can do easily, and we are starting a pilot with the UGMC where every Ghanaian who wants to visit will be able to get either a chit or a code that shows the exact time to meet a doctor,' he stated. The Minister said the move would modernise hospital administration, make them orderly, and reduce congestion and the frustration of patients and health workers alike. Source: Ghana News Agency