The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has issued a directive to all Regional Directors of Health, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen disability-friendly healthcare services across hospitals nationwide.

The directive, outlined in a memo from Acting Director-General, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, calls for immediate action to enhance accessibility and inclusivity for persons with disabilities.

The directive follows a meeting with Regional Directors on February 13, 2025, where the need for disability-friendly facilities was reiterated. Subsequently, GHS engaged with the National Disability Council and the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations to strategize on improving rehabilitation services and integrating essential modifications in healthcare facilities.

Citing Section 33 of the Disability Act, the memo stressed the legal obligation of the Health Service to ensure equal healthcare access for persons with disabilities. This includes structural modifications, prioritizing care for individuals with disabilities, and providing sign language interpreters where necessary.

To implement these changes, Regional Directors have been tasked with activating existing structures within hospitals, ensuring operational social welfare offices, updating peer review checklists to reflect inclusivity, and reorienting disability focal persons at regional and district levels.

Prof. Akoriyea further stated that compliance with these directives will be closely monitored and factored into performance appraisals, signaling GHS’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible and equitable for all.