The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Right Rev Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has disclosed that, currently the Church runs a total of 55 health facilities in the country, spreading over 10 administrative regions, with a total workforce of over 3,650 and a total bed capacity of 1,598.
He said, this makes the Presbyterian Church of Ghana the third largest provider of health services in Ghana after the State and the Catholic Church.
Rt. Rev Prof. Mante made the disclosure at the opening of the 2021 Department of Development and Social Services (DSS) of the PCG Consultative Forum to take stock of the activities of the Department at the Presbyterian Women’s Centre at Abokobi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, 20th October, 2021.
The four-day forum brings together stakeholders from the health and agriculture sectors of the Church to review the various activities in these sectors across the country and to improve the Department’s work. It is on the theme: “Demonstrating the Light of Jesus Christ Through Social Services.”
The Moderator said, the Church deemed it as an obligation to support the society by providing their spiritual and social needs. He said the PCG was one of the major stakeholders in health service delivery in the country.
Rt. Rev. Mante said one thing distinctive about the Church was the excellent collaboration between it, the government, and the communities in serving the people.
He said the PCG supports Agenda 111, a plan by the government to construct 111 health facilities to ensure that Ghanaians in every district or region have access to quality healthcare services.
The Moderator said with the Church’s long and rich experience in the management of hospitals, they trust that some of the district hospitals, when completed, will be given to the Churches with good records in the sector to manage.
He said the Church acknowledges that it is the primary responsibility of the Government to provide health services to the people.
“We have also admitted that that the government alone cannot bear this huge responsibility, and has, thus, welcome the call for increase private sector participation in health service delivery to complement the government’s efforts,” he added.
The Moderator mentioned some of the major health facilities of the Church as Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, Bawku Presbyterian Hospital, Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital and Assin Praso Presbyterian Hospital.
He said the PCG would continue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ through the provision social services to Ghanaians especially in the rural communities.
Present at the forum are the Clerk of General Assembly of the PCG, Rev. Dr. Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor and some General Assembly Council Members.
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