‘I Don’t Care Attitude’ in Health Facilities Alarming – NGOs in Health President

Bright Amissah Nyarko, President of the NGOs in Health, has expressed deep concern over what he describes as a growing culture of indifference among health workers in Ghana’s medical facilities.

Speaking at the Health Forum organized by Media General on May 7, 2025 — under the theme “State and Future of Health Facilities: Reimagining Healthcare in Ghana” — Mr. Nyarko said the “I don’t care” attitude among some health workers is becoming widespread and deeply troubling.

“There’s too much of the ‘I don’t care’ attitude in our health facilities,” he lamented.

Addressing broader issues in the health sector, he also urged government and policymakers to prioritize expanding Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds and district hospitals. He noted that many of these facilities are overwhelmed due to rising patient numbers and inadequate infrastructure.

“There is an urgent need to invest in our CHPS Compounds and district hospitals. The number of people relying on these services far exceeds the available resources,” he emphasized.

Also speaking at the event, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), decried the poor state of many health facilities in Ghana.

While acknowledging that institutions like the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) are in relatively good condition, she questioned why successive governments have failed to address the dire state of most health facilities.

“When you go beyond the capital cities to the districts and CHPS Compounds, the conditions of these facilities are far from ideal,” she stated.

She added that even some regional and teaching hospitals are not well-maintained and lack adequate infrastructure, equipment, and sanitary systems, all of which affect service delivery and staff morale.

Ms. Ofori-Ampofo also revealed that most health facilities depend heavily on internally generated funds (IGFs), as government funding has been lacking — a situation that hampers progress in the sector.

“At the moment, nearly all our health facilities depend on IGFs. That’s why statistics show that over 99% of OPD services need to be paid for,” she explained.

She called on the government to commit more resources to improving the country’s health infrastructure and equipping healthcare facilities to deliver better services.