Human Resource practitioners in Ghana’s health sector in the Oti Region have inaugurated a Health Human Resource (HR) Association to strengthen professional collaboration, workforce planning and human resource management across the region.
The Association was inaugurated on August 13 under the theme, “Leveraging Contemporary Human Resource Practices to Build a Resilient and High-Performing Health Workforce in Ghana – Focus on Primary Health Care.”
Chairman of the ceremony and Oti Regional Director of Health, Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, said the Association would provide a platform for HR practitioners to share knowledge, improve professional practice and contribute to strengthening the health system.
He said the initiative was particularly important following the introduction of the government’s Free Primary Health Care policy, whose success, he noted, would depend significantly on effective management of the health workforce.
“A competent, motivated and well-supported workforce is critical to the success and sustainability of primary healthcare,” Dr Amo-Kodieh said.
Special Guest Speaker Edmund Edem Tsogbey (Togbe Klimadzefia IV), Director of the Ho Teaching Hospital, urged health-sector HR professionals to move beyond traditional administrative duties and adopt a more strategic role in healthcare delivery.
He called for modern, evidence-based and technology-driven HR practices to improve workforce planning and decision-making.
Mr Tsogbey also stressed the importance of developing a resilient health workforce capable of responding to pandemics, staff migration, funding constraints and other disruptions.
He urged HR practitioners to prioritise the motivation, professional development and wellbeing of health workers, particularly those working at the primary healthcare level.
He further called for proactive workforce planning, sustainable career pathways, investment in digital HR systems and stronger measures to address the effects of health worker migration.
The inauguration also saw the swearing-in of the Association’s maiden executive team.
The executives are:
- President: Gershon Frimpong Mak-Freeman
- Secretary: Mabel Duvor
- Treasurer: Victoria Dzansi
- Organising Secretary: Shadrack Kudjo Tabon
Solomon Frimpong, Director of Human Resources at the Oti Regional Health Directorate, was named Patron of the Association.
The new body is expected to promote professional development, knowledge-sharing, innovation and strategic workforce planning among HR practitioners in the region.
Its establishment comes as Ghana seeks to expand access to primary healthcare, with stakeholders emphasising that sustainable improvements in healthcare delivery will require a competent, motivated and resilient workforce.
