The Health Minister-designate, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has declared that he will carry forth the initiatives that his predecessor, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, started.

Dr. Okoe Boye sees this strategy as necessary for a smooth tenure, even though he has priorities, particularly given the short time remaining for the Akufo-Addo administration.

In a recent shuffle on February 14, 2024, President Akufo-Addo selected Dr. Okoe Boye to succeed Kwaku Agyeman Manu. In the event that the vetting committee of Parliament grants its approval, Dr. Okoe Boye—who was the Deputy Health Minister from 2020 to 2021—will rejoin the medical field.

He stated, “But sometimes it is not the programmes you introduce into a sector that makes people happy or improve the state of mind, it is the relationship and addressing basic things which do not require resources necessarily but require attention and offering protocols and this is going to be my major priority.”

Recognizing that significant changes frequently require addressing underlying problems and fostering connections, Dr. Okoe Boye emphasized the significance of involving stakeholders in the industry.

He disclosed that, although Parliament’s permission was still pending, he had already started conversations with important parties, like as those at Korle Bu and the Ghana Medical Association.

“When I went to Korle Bu, what I did was that I sat with those who have been there for a long time and most of them have a fair idea what the problems are, what it ought to be done and what to put in. As I speak to you, I’ve spoken to the Ghana Medical Association President and some of the Executives.

“I’ve not gone for the vetting but informally, I’m like guys, let’s sit down, what do you want, where do we get to? What must be done? The first approach is to talk to the people in the field,”He told Citi FM.