Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, has announced new measures to simplify the shipment of donated medical equipment to Ghana, urging non-governmental organisations and philanthropists abroad to engage directly with the Ministry for a streamlined process.
Speaking during a visit to the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Koforidua, Mr Akandoh acknowledged that equipment shipment had long posed challenges for charitable organizations.
However, he assured that the Ministry was steadily implementing solutions to ease the process and improve healthcare delivery nationwide.
He noted that the measures the Ministry had put in place to facilitate the shipment of medical equipment were straightforward and easily accessible.
“It is simply to consign that particular group to the Ministry for an agreement on the distributions and what you are going to use it for,” he stated. “Once it is for charity purposes, the Ministry is willing and ready to partner with you.”
The Minister’s visit coincided with a seven-day free orthopaedic surgery programme organized by Operation Walk Syracuse – New York, a U.S.-based NGO.

The initiative aims to provide hip and knee joint surgeries for approximately 100 patients.
Mr Akandoh expressed the government’s appreciation for the NGO’s contribution, stating: “The government cannot do it alone. We need more helping hands.”
He was accompanied by Mrs Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, Eastern Regional Minister, and led to the orthopaedic operating theatre by Ms Kim Murray, Director of Operation Walk Syracuse – New York.
Ms Murray noted that her team included surgeons, anaesthesiologists, operating and recovery room staff, physical therapists, and Ghanaian medical professionals.
“It is our joy to help patients so that they can go back to their economic activities to serve their families and the nation at large.
“By the end of the seven-day programme, the team is expected to perform hip and knee joint surgeries for approximately 100 patients,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Edna Amponsah, a patient, told the Health Minister that her orthopaedic condition required a surgery costing 70,000 Ghana cedis, which had been a financial burden for years.
She expressed gratitude to the NGO for providing the free surgery that enabled her to regain her strength, restoring her mobility and hope.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry’s new approach is expected to encourage more international support and ensure that donated health equipment reaches facilities and patients in need.