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Ghana Health Service Advocates for Integrated Systems and Patient Navigation to Enhance NCD Care
•2 min read•1 source
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has issued a call for the urgent strengthening of health systems and primary healthcare structures to ensure safe, continuous care for individuals living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Speaking at the 2026 National Patient Safety Day event in Accra, Dr. Caroline Amissah Reindorf, the Deputy Director-General of GHS, emphasized that managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer requires a more robust approach than current systems provide. The event, which adopted the color orange to symbolize its awareness campaign, centered on the theme of improving patient safety and outcomes through systemic reform.
Central to the GHS proposal is the implementation of effective 'patient navigation,' a process designed to help patients move seamlessly through the healthcare system. Dr. Amissah Reindorf highlighted that many patients currently face significant hurdles, including fragmented referral systems that result in lost medical histories and inconsistent follow-up care. By improving navigation and strengthening the continuum of care—encompassing regular check-ups, reliable medication management, and efficient referrals—the GHS aims to leverage the government’s free primary healthcare initiative to provide more equitable and effective service delivery.
Supporting this call for reform, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative, Dr. Fiona Braka, underscored the growing global and national burden of NCDs. She noted that a significant portion of healthcare-related complications are preventable, urging for a shared responsibility among health providers, patients, and policymakers. The WHO maintains that patient safety must be the cornerstone of NCD management to reduce the high incidence of harm that occurs during healthcare delivery. The collaboration between the GHS and international partners reflects a unified commitment to transforming Ghana's health infrastructure into one that is more responsive to the complexities of chronic disease management.
