About one hundred staff of the St. Andrews Catholic Hospital at Kordiabe in the Shai-Osudoku district of the Greater Accra region, have benefitted from a two-day capacity building training workshop jointly organized by the hospital management and LifeNet International, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works with faith-based health facilities in Ghana and across Africa.
It came off on the 6th and 7th of May, 2024 and was aimed at equipping the participants with the requisite skills and knowledge in the provision of sustainable quality health care services to achieve desirable outcomes.
Topics treated at the workshop included: Professional ethics, Effective communication skills at the workplace, Improved listening skills, Understanding compassion for patients, Communication with empathy, Emotional intelligence, Privacy, and confidentiality in caring for patients and Conflict resolution and management among others.
In a brief remark on his behalf, country director of LifeNet International, Idris Buabeng said, it is the belief of LifeNet that healthcare workers are provided with technical capacity-building and management capacity-building training alongside tailored on-site mentoring and coaching.
He indicated that if health care facilities have supportive access to essential equipment, pharmaceuticals, and 24/7 digital learning resources, then healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa will provide patients with higher quality healthcare, manage facility financials and human resources more effectively, thereby reducing the number of preventable deaths in their communities, saving and improving lives.
Before the partnership between LifeNet and St. Andrews Catholic Hospital, the hospital lacked an official Accounts Department, didn’t engage in budgeting or financial reporting, and had no structured cash management policy.
Professional accountants were absent, and financial responsibilities were handled by a nurse without proper documentation or accounting practices.
Following training and mentoring sessions provided by LifeNet, there have been a significant overhaul in the hospital’s Accounts Department after Rev. Sr. Dr. Mini Kuruvila and Mr. Gershon Keti assumed leadership roles as administrator and accountant, respectively.
The department now comprises four units overseeing financial activities, maintaining accurate records, timely banking of revenues, and ensuring task delegation among staff.
Qualified accountants are now on board, facilitating the creation of annual budgets and regular financial statements. Strategic measures have been implemented to enhance revenue and minimize operational costs.
These initiatives resulted in increased revenue and reduced costs in the first quarter of 2024, showcasing the improved efficiency and financial management within the hospital.
Joseph Toboyee, Health Facility Management Trainer and Grace Agyei-Twumasi, Health Facility Medical Trainer, both from LifeNet International, took the participants through the two day training workshop.
Some of the participants took turns to express their appreciation to the facilitators and LifeNet for the insight and promised to take the lessons grasped into practice.
By Leo Nelson || Ghananewsonline.com.gh