He said a comprehensive plan was being drawn to refinance and restructure the scheme to make it more efficient in the healthcare delivery system.

“The proper functioning of our healthcare system to ensure a healthy population at all times is crucial for national development. It is for this reason that the government has taken the decision to restructure and refinance the insurance scheme,” he stressed.

The Vice President made this remark in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, at a ceremony held in Accra to announce the presence of Johnson and Johnson in the country and for choosing Ghana as its headquarters in the West Africa sub region.

The event brought together high personalities including the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson and some management staff of J&J as well as some government officials.

According to the Vice President, one of government’s top agenda was to provide accessible but affordable health care for Ghanaians, irrespective of their background.

He said as the largest provider of healthcare in the country, the insurance was recognised as the panacea for ensuring affordable healthcare services to the citizenry.

Vice President Dr. Bawumia, appealed to the private sector to support healthcare service by investing more in the sector.

He assured of the commitment of the government to build a strong business environment that will make Ghana the most preferred destination for investment.

According to him, government recognised that it could do more in the provision of healthcare through partnership with the private sector and had therefore strengthened the relationship with businesses for such a common goal.

The Vice President noted that such partnership was necessary as it will help speed up the realisation of government’s priorities in the healthcare system.

With matters regarding drug production, Vice President Bawumia said government envisage a period in which majority of the drugs used in the country would be produced by local pharmaceutical companies.

He further promised government’s commitment to provide local businesses with special incentives to help them grow and become more competitive while positioning Ghana as the pharmaceutical hub in the sub region.

Speaking at the event, the Head of Global Public Health of Johnson and Johnson , Mr. Jaak Peters  mentioned that, the company’s  new presence in the in the country  would bring together multiple teams  to deliver an integrated approach to improving the healthcare delivery in the country.

Priscilla Owusu Sekyere, country manager of Johnson and Johnson stated that, the new Ghana office will support the growing dedication to health improvement in the country, especially in the area of prevention of diseases and advancing therapies through programmes involving health, education and vaccine development.

By Charles Amankwa