​​

Goodwill Message from the Minister for Health on the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital

It gives me great pleasure to extend heartfelt congratulations to the management, staff, past and present health professionals, development partners, patients, families, and all stakeholders of Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital as the institution celebrates its centenary.

One hundred years of dedicated service to the children of Ghana is an extraordinary achievement. Since its establishment, Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital has been a trusted institution in Ghana’s health sector, providing specialized care to generations of children and contributing significantly to the advancement of paediatric services in our country.

While we celebrate this milestone, we must also recognize the challenges that continue to confront child health in Ghana. Despite significant progress, too many children still face preventable illnesses, malnutrition, neonatal complications, and inequities in access to quality healthcare. The growing burden of non-communicable diseases, changing disease patterns, and increasing demand for specialized services require us to continually strengthen our health system and invest in the future of our children.

 

The Government of Ghana remains committed to addressing these challenges through transformative health sector reforms. Our flagship Free Primary Healthcare Programme is expanding access to essential healthcare services, with a strong emphasis on prevention, early detection, immunization, maternal and child health, and community-based care. Together with the National Health Insurance Scheme, this initiative is helping us move closer to our vision of Universal Health Coverage, where every Ghanaian, regardless of location or economic status, can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.

We are also investing in health infrastructure, medical equipment, digital transformation, and, most importantly, our health workforce, the backbone of our health system. The dedication of our doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and support staff remains central to achieving better health outcomes for our people. On behalf of the Ministry of Health, I express our sincere appreciation to the generations of doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals, administrators, and support staff whose tireless service has sustained this institution for a century. Your sacrifices, often made under challenging conditions, have ensured that countless children have not only survived illness but have gone on to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.

We also recognize that, like many health facilities across the country, Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital has faced challenges including increasing patient numbers, infrastructure constraints, and changing healthcare needs. Despite these challenges, the hospital has continued to provide quality and specialized care to children and families. As a key referral and specialized centre for child health, it has played an important role in improving child health outcomes in Ghana. As we mark this important milestone, we celebrate the hospital’s contribution over the past century and look ahead to the work that remains to ensure every child has access to the care they need to grow and thrive.

Looking ahead, the Ministry of Health remains committed to policies and investments that strengthen specialized paediatric services, enhance healthcare quality and patient safety, promote digital health innovations, and support the development of centres of excellence capable of meeting the healthcare needs of future generations.
As we commemorate this centenary, let us recommit ourselves to ensuring that every child in Ghana has the opportunity not only to survive but to thrive. Let us continue to build a health system that is equitable, resilient, people-centred, and responsive to the evolving needs of our population.

 

On behalf of the Ministry of Health and the Government of Ghana, I congratulate Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital on this historic achievement. May the next century be marked by even greater excellence, quality, innovation, and leadership in child healthcare.

Long live Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital. Long live our dedicated health workforce. Long live Ghana’s commitment to universal health and child wellbeing. God bless out homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.

​

Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, MP
Minister for Health