"Health administrators must move beyond office management to hospital management" – GHS Director-General

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has challenged health administrators across the country to shift their focus from managing offices to managing hospitals, insisting that effective support services are critical to the success of Ghana's health system and the implementation of the Free Primary Health Care Policy.

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Ghana Health Service Health Administration and Support Services (HASS) Conference, Prof. Akoriyea delivered a candid assessment of the state of health administration, urging administrators to take greater responsibility for the maintenance of infrastructure, equipment, transport, and staff welfare.

According to him, many health administrators have become "office administrators" instead of hospital administrators.

"You get into some health facilities and see administrators sitting comfortably in well-furnished offices with fridges, microwaves, biscuits and tea, while the people delivering healthcare don't even have decent offices or the resources they need to work," he said.

Prof. Akoriyea stressed that hospital administration extends beyond paperwork and procurement to ensuring that the entire healthcare environment functions efficiently.

He criticised poor maintenance of hospital compounds, abandoned vehicles, deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate supervision, describing them as unacceptable.

"When you enter a hospital, the first thing you should notice is a clean and well-maintained environment. Grass should be cut, facilities should be orderly, and parking spaces properly managed. These are basic administrative responsibilities," he stated.

The Director-General also condemned the presence of food vendors moving freely through hospital wards, warning that such practices undermine infection prevention and control measures.

"We cannot preach infection prevention while allowing people to sell food from ward to ward," he noted.

Prof. Akoriyea expressed concern over the poor maintenance culture within the health sector, particularly regarding vehicles, medical equipment and oxygen plants.

He warned that the government's huge investments in health infrastructure could be wasted if administrators fail to implement effective maintenance systems.

"We have invested heavily in oxygen plants, vehicles, medical equipment and other infrastructure. I don't want to hear that a patient dies because there is no oxygen when the country has already provided these facilities. Maintaining them is your responsibility," he emphasised.

He revealed that government is investing hundreds of millions of cedis in equipment and logistics to support the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care Policy, including thousands of motorbikes and tricycles for health outreach.

However, he cautioned that without a strong maintenance culture, the investments could quickly deteriorate.

"If we don't fix our maintenance systems now, the 7,000 motorbikes and 2,000 tricycles being procured for free primary healthcare will all be grounded within a year, and we'll be asking government to buy new ones again," he warned.

Prof. Akoriyea further urged health administrators to make better use of the Ghana Health Service's existing workshops and technical personnel instead of relying excessively on private garages for vehicle repairs.

He also called for proper inventory management and labelling of medical equipment to prevent losses and misuse.

The Director-General challenged participants at the conference to ensure the meeting produces practical reforms rather than becoming another "talk shop."

"I want this conference to produce concrete solutions. Develop checklists, strengthen maintenance systems and ensure that support services truly become the backbone of healthcare delivery," he said.

Prof. Akoriyea concluded by reminding health administrators that while clinicians provide direct patient care, the success of healthcare delivery ultimately depends on the efficiency of administrative and support services.

"If the backbone fails, the entire body cannot function. Support services must work efficiently if Ghana's Free Primary Health Care Policy is to succeed," he added.

This version follows a straight-news style suitable for publication while clearly attributing the remarks to Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Priscilla Dodoo