To deliver its mandate, the RHD is structured into four main Departments / Budget Management Centres (BMCs) as follows:
Office of Regional Director of Health Service BMC
Public Health BMC / Department
Clinical BMC / Department
Health Administration & Support Service (HASS) BMC / Department
1. Office of Regional Director of Health Service BMC
The Office of Regional Director of Health Service comprises the following:
i. Finance Department
The Finance Department, under the office of the Regional Director of Health Service, is headed by a Deputy Director Finance. The roles and functions of the Department is governed by the Public Financial Management Act of 2016 (Act 921) and the MOH/GHS Rules and Instructions for Accounting, Treasury and Financial Reporting. The Department is responsible for assisting management to implement financial management policies, guidelines and systems of the Service in the region. Under the Finance Department are the following Units: Financial Reporting and Analysis, Treasury and Financial Information Systems Management (FISM) Units.
ii. Human Resource (HR) Department
The HR Department is mandated to ensure that adequate health personnel, with the right skills and attitudes are attracted and retained in locations where their services are in most needed in the region to facilitate the achievement of the Service’s objective of ensuring quality and effective healthcare delivery at all service levels. The Department is headed by the Regional Human Resource Manager.
iii. Health Information Unit
The Health Information is headed by the Regional Health Information Officer. The Unit is responsible for managing health service data of the region to ensure data completeness and quality for effective decision making to improve the health of the people in the region.
iv. Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Unit
The CHPS Unit coordinate implementation of CHPS activities in the Region. CHPS is a strategy to deliver essential community-based health services involving health planning and service delivery with the communities. Its primary focus is communities in deprived sub-districts and in general, bringing health services closer to the community
v. Health Research Unit
The Unit is mandatedtofacilitate the development and conduct of sound research that meets ethical considerations to promote quality health service delivery in the region.
vi. Internal Audit Unit
The mandate of the Unit is to carry out audit inspection and evaluation of the activities of the GHS Budget Management Centres (BMCs) in the region and to determine whether internal controls put in place by management are efficient and effective in addressing risks associated with the operations of the Service.
vii. Information Communications Technology (ICT) Unit
The ICT Unit provides hardware, network connectivity and application software support services to the facilities in the region. It works closely with all other departments / Unit to sustain the workflow in the network whiles providing the framework for data collection, processing and analysis for decision making at the regional level.
2.Public Health Department
The Public Health Department coordinates the planning and implementation of public health activities in the region mainly in communicable disease control and surveillance, reproductive, adolescent and child health, nutrition and health promotion.
The Department comprises the following Units and Programmes:
i. Nutrition Unit
The objective of the Nutrition Unit is to contribute to the achievement of optimal nutrition of the people, promoting child survival, and economic growth and development of the region through capacity enhancement.
ii. Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Unit
The RCH comprises reproductive health, child health, maternal health, neonatal, infant health, family planning and adolescent health.
iii. Disease Surveillance Unit
The Unit functions to forecast and promptly detect Communicable/Priority diseases for their control through a well-coordinated and integrated system of ongoing data collection, analysis and interpretation and timely dissemination of resulting information to stakeholders for action. Data collection is done using tools/forms approved by Ghana Health Service and Disease Surveillance Department. Surveillance data collection is mainly done at the health facility and community levels by health staff and Community based surveillance volunteers and reported at pre-determined periods dependent on the disease being reported.
iv. Disease Control Unit
The Functions of the Unit include:
Undertaking effective surveillance, forecasting and controlling of diseases of public health importance, outbreaks, emerging and re-emerging threats and pandemics
Managing epidemics: Estimate resources needed—vaccines, drugs etc to control epidemics
Assisting in developing strategies to combat epidemics in the region.
Working in partnership with other public health units and stakeholders and the community to improve reporting of communicable and non-communicable diseases and their prevention and control.
v. Health Promotion Unit
The Unit functions to promote early preventive strategies, healthy behaviours and well-being through the creation of environments where individuals, families and communities are informed and empowered to live healthier and happier lives.
vi. Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Unit
The CHPS Unit coordinate implementation of CHPS activities in the Region. CHPS is a strategy to deliver essential community-based health services involving health planning and service delivery with the communities. Its primary focus is communities in deprived sub-districts and in general, bringing health services closer to the community
vii. Programmes
The key programmes that have been pivotal in addressing the major public health challenges in the region include:
Malaria Control Programme NMCP
Tuberculosis Programme (NTP)
HIV/AIDS Control Programme
Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Newborn Care Programme.
3. Clinical Care Department
The Department coordinates planning and efficient management of delivery of clinical services in the Region. It has the following Units:
i. Nursing and Midwifery Services Unit
The Unit has the mandate of coordinating all Nursing and Midwifery activities in the region for improved quality of care. TheChief Nursing and Midwifery Officer is the Head of the Unit.
ii.Pharmaceutical Services Unit
The Pharmaceutical Services unit has a core mandate of ensuring the provision of good pharmaceutical services to all clients in the region. The Unit also works with other agencies such as the Pharmacy Council to regulate and ensure good standards are met and kept in the practice of the pharmacy profession in the region.
iii. National Health Insurance (NHIS) Desk
The NHIS Desk coordinates National Health Insurance related issues pertaining to GHS facilities at the regional level.
iv. Biomedical Science/Medical Laboratory Unit
The Unit has a mandate of ensuring effective coordination of all laboratory services in the region for improved quality of care. The Unit is involved in providing services in support of clinical care, public health and research. It provides services in microbiology, hematology and clinical chemistry.
v. Mental Health Unit
The Mental Health Unit is responsible for all mental health activities and its policy implementation at the regional level under the supervision of the Office of the Deputy Director of Clinical Care. It coordinates activities of Registered Mental Health Nurses, Technical Officers (Community Mental Health), Clinical Psychologists and other cadre of human resource in the area of mental health in the region. The Unit is headed by Regional Mental Health Coordinator.
4. Health Administration and Support Services (HASS) Department BMC
The Mandate of the HASS Department/ BMC is to provide the lead role and technical services in the mobilization and prudent management of support services and resources to enable the Service effectively and efficiently deliver on its mission and vision.
The Deputy Director Administration (DDA) heads the HASS Department/BMC and provides the lead role and advises the Regional Director of Health Services on matters of support services relating to policy development proposals, policy interpretation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the DDA technically supports all BMCs in matters concerning health administration and support services.
The Department is made up of the following Units, which are headed by Technical Officers (Occupational Heads):
i, General Administration Unit
The Unit ensures smooth and efficient flow of information between management, staff and MDAs as well as other health partners. It provides administrative liaison services between Departments at the RHD, receive and dispatch letters manually and electronically on behalf of the RHD, ensures efficient filling system and assists in coordinating general management meetings and staff durbars.
ii. Transport Management Unit
The Unit is responsible for ensuring availability and reliability of transport as essential logistic for health service delivery in the region.
iii Clinical Engineering Unit
The Unit is responsible for medical equipment management in the region. It provides technical services required for effective and efficient procurement, installation, acceptance testing, user training as well as maintenance and repairs of medical equipment in the region
iv. Estates Management Unit
The Unit provides technical services required for effective and efficient procurement and supervision of health projects as well as maintenance and repairs/rehabilitation of health facilities/infrastructure in the region.
v. Procurement Uni
The Unit is responsible for:
Procuring goods, works and services for the Regional Health Directorate
Procuring of health commodities to replenish stock at the Regional Medical Stores
Supporting other procurement entities (Public health facilities) in the region to procure goods, works and services in accordance with the best procurement practices and in line with the Public Procurement Act to achieve Value for Money.
Offering technical training for procurement focal persons, interns and other supply chain practitioners.
vi. Regional Medical Stores (RMS)
The Regional Medical Stores has the mandate of supplying good quality health commodities to all public health facilities and some selected private health facilities in the central region. It operates with technical oversight from the office of the Regional Chief Pharmacist and administrative oversight from the Office of the Deputy Director, HASS
