The strategy focuses on the ideal state of quality health care system and the current state, the need to make healthcare more accessible, safe and patient-centered as well as address environmental, social and behavioral influences on health care delivery.

It also sets priorities that address gaps in the health system and proposes ways to identify areas for improvement and measure progress. Dr Afisah Zakariah, Chief Director, MOH who read a speech on behalf of Mr Alex Segbefia, the Sector Minister said in September 2015, the country held its first National Quality Forum under the auspices of the Health Ministry and underscored the need to develop a National Healthcare Quality Strategy.

The Minister said the need for an integrated national strategy for improving the quality of care and patient safety had been identified in the national medium-term strategy, which also called out mental health care and traditional medicine for attention.

“The overall  vision is to create a health system that places the client at the centre of health care and ensures improved measurable health outcomes. Achieving this will require stronger leadership and coordination from the Ministry of all its agencies to address identified gaps inhibiting improved patient care and outcomes”, he said.

Mr Segbefia called on all stakeholders to fully dedicate themselves to fulfilling their mandate, saying through the accompanying coordination and accountability framework, the Ministry will hold agencies accountable to the successful implementation of this strategy.

Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, Executive Director of Institute for Health Care Improvement , Africa Region, said the country did not have a unified strategy to streamline the health system and that the policy would integrate all the pieces of policies under the Ministry’s agencies.

He said government will establish a quality steering committee to ensure that the policy is implemented in an efficient and effective manner, because the Ministry is repositioning itself to ensure that the concerns of patient are respected in the provision of quality health care.

Mr Ernest Kanyoke, Director at Ubora Institute, commended for producing the document which will serve as a benchmark to measure standards of healthcare delivery in the country.He said their outfit would continue to work with the Ministry to provide technical support to ensure quality service and lauded government efforts in creating access to health care delivering in the country.

The document was sponsored by the Ubora Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, World Health Organisation, USAID and United Nations Emergency Funds.