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Parent Associations can fundraise to support Free SHS policy – GES

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that Parents Associations (PAs) can fundraise in support of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

According to the GES, the PAs may explore diverse fundraising avenues for school development but are prohibited from imposing any fees on students or pupils.

This was contained in a recently released guidelines document by GES for the operation of Parents Associations in Pre-tertiary schools.

There have been concerns about the operations of PTAs that supposedly thwarted the government’s efforts at ensuring universal access to education, specifically at the SHS level.

This was due to the outrageous imposition of levies by some PTAs which sought to defeat the purpose for which the Free SHS policy was introduced.

In response to these developments, the management of GES suspended the imposition of levies in all schools.

It also directed the reorganization of the Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) to Parent Associations (PAs) to limit the involvement of management and staff of the school.

The GES emphasised that PAs should operate independently, separate from school management and staff.

According to GES, PAs could undertake projects to support the development and growth of the schools to which they are related but emphasised that the management of the schools shall have full authority over the handling of such projects without interference from PAs.

GES stated that PAs may through the management of the school, offer support to teachers/staff of the school through the provision of incentive packages and other welfare schemes.

It maintained that no child shall be discriminated against or given preferential treatment in the official duties of the teacher/staff to which that incentive or welfare package is related.

“Aside from contributions made by PAs, individual parents/guardians may make voluntary donations or contributions to the school as that individual deems fit and such donation shall not confer any preference or privilege to any student in terms of access to and use of the facility or donation,” GES said.

The GES in the document clarified that although school management should not be signatories to Parents Associations’ activities, they can participate without assuming liability for decisions made.

However, PAs are required to submit their annual activities and plans for approval by school management.

Additionally, the accounts of PAs will undergo annual audits, and audit reports must be submitted to Regional Directors for forwarding to the Director General of the Ghana Education Service.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.

However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.

The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.

This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.

The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.

According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.

“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.

“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.

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Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms

The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.

He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential

Consumables amounting to about 35 items.

Among the items highlighted were

Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.

The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.

He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.

He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.

Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.

The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.

The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.