Our History

The Health Service Supply Chain Practitioners Association, Ghana (HESSCPAG) evolved from the Civil Service Materials Management Class Association (CSSMMCA). After the passage of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals’ Act in 1996, all the members of the “CSSMMCA” became automatic members of the Ministry of Health Supply Chain. However, one was given the option of opting out if one so wished.

Following the discrepancies in the payment of Additional Duty Hours Allowances (ADHA) to Health Sector Workers, professional groupings sprang up with the objective of lobbying for recognition in their roles and subsequently a fair share in the ADHA. The need for the CSSMMCA staff to come together became prominent. This period coincided with the establishment of the SSDM and appointment of a Director in 2004. On his appointment, the Director advised Mr Kotie Nkansah to bring together staff of the CSSMMCA so that a formidable front can be presented   in matters related to the class.  Mr. Nkansah took up the challenge and invited other colleagues from the Regions for a series of meetings that culminated in the development of a proposal that was submitted to the Director SSDM at his Airport Residential Area Office. The Director submitted the proposal to the Director General and subsequently a meeting of all Procurement and Supply Officers was held at Diamond Hotel in Kumasi during which matters related to Supply Chain Management were discussed.

In 2006, following agitations from Health Worker Groups on the lob-sided manner in which the Additional Duty Hours Allowances were administered, the then Director General of the Ghana Health Service appointed a consultant to evaluate the relative jobs of the various health worker groups. A technical committee under the Chairmanship of the then Director Human Resources Development Division was appointed by the Director General to work with the Consultant Ms. Aida in the job evaluation. This exercise required that each professional group provided a representation to work with the technical group. Mr. Joseph Kotie Nkansah having worked as a former General Secretary of the CSSMMC led a team of Supply Chain Practitioners to represent the class at the job evaluation. The untiring efforts of the team led to the placement of Supply and Procurement Officers in analogous position with all staff with similar academic background

The message was conveyed to the Director at his Airport Residential Area Office at that time. He then charged Mr. Joseph Kotie Nkansah in March 2006 to do the following:-

  1. Set up a committee and put up a petition for the correction of the anomaly to him for onward transmission to the appropriate quarters.

Our special gratitude goes to Mr Gyimah, the Head of the Central Medical Stores, Tema, at that time for generously making his outfit accessible to us and sometimes sitting in our meetings to offer useful suggestions and pieces of advice to us because he felt so bad about our plight at that time.

Below are the names of officers who heeded the call to prepare the grounds for the formation of our Association and the writing of petition for the correction of the January 2006 Health Service Salary Scheme anomalies.

            NAMES                                     FACILITY                    STATUS                            TEL. NO          

  1. Mr. R.R. Paintsil                        RMS-CR                     Chairman                        0244526761
  2. J. Kotie-Nkansah                     Pantang Hosp.         Secretary                         0244379897
  3. Mr. Prosper Kutame               CMS                            Member (Demise)         0244221524
  4. Mr. Kwamefoli George           CMS                            Member                           0244097022
  5. Mr. Laryea Amartey                CMS                            Member                           0244474435
  6. Mr. S.M. Adjei                            RMS-GAR                  Member                           0243547813
  7. Mr. F.K.Ovulley                         RMS-VR                      Member                           0208162227
  8. Mr. Sylvester J. Badolu          Korle-Bu                     Member                            0244735771
  9. Mr. Vincent Yevu                     V-R, Reg. Hosp.        Member                            0209736236
  10. Mrs. Jennifer G.Garbrah        Pantang Hosp.         Member                            0243163356

Occasionally, meetings were held with the Director SSDM, Dr. Kwasi Addai-Donkoh to deliberate on issues. Messrs. Afotey Walters and Bernard Asamany attended regularly. It must be noted that Ashanti, Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta Regions were well organized and attended meetings to cater for their welfare needs regionally.

In October 2006, a proposed first delegates conference was to have come off at GIMPA on the 26th to 27th of October 2006, but failed to materialize.

A total number of 150 (one hundred and fifty) delegates were to attend from all over the regions including the Teaching Hospitals. Funding became a big challenge, thus thwarting the efforts of the Committee members and the Director to host the conference.

Bent on seeing the birth of the Association, the Director wrote a proposal to the Director General in 2007 sourcing funds to build the capacities of Supply Chain members. He finally got approval and a first Workshop/Conference was held at the SSNIT conference Hall in Kumasi from 24-27th February, 2008.Volta Region came first in attendance with almost every supply chain practitioner showing up at the function.

The following interim officers were appointed to organize the 2009 conference to elect Substantive Executive members to run the affairs of the Association. It was at this conference that the name “HESSCPAG” was proposed and unanimously accepted by members as the official name of the Association. The Association is an amalgamation of Stores, Supply and Procurement Officers/Managers in the Health Sector in Ghana.

  1. Mr. Prosper Kutame – President
  2. Mr. Peter Yeboah – Secretary
  3. Mad. Irene Akaab – Assistant Secretary
  4. Mr. F.K Ovuley – Treasurer
  5. Mad. Azara Amidu – Adviser
  6. Mr. Jonas Tete Mantey – Organiser

 

FIRST CONFERENCE/ELECTIONS

The first conference came off at the Takoradi GNAT Hall from 27th -29th May, 2009.Prospective candidates completed nomination forms for various positions. By the close of nominations, it came to light that nobody contested for the Presidency. Mr. Joseph Kotie-Nkansah was unanimously elected as President after the Director, Dr. Kwasi Addai-Donkoh, vetoed that he stands for the presidency, a position he initially turned down on grounds of old age.

At the end of the elections, the following persons were elected into office: –

           NAME                                               POSITION                              STATION                                  TEL NO.

  1. Mr. Joseph Kotie-Nkansah           President                          Regional Hosp.Koforidua         0244379897
  2. Mr. Dan Ladi Mohammed            Vice President                 MHD-Kumasi                              0208149582                      
  3. Mr.   Emmanuel Barnes                Secretary                           RHD-Ho                                        0244705859
  4. Mr. Samuel Adusei                         Assistant Secretary         Ejura,Ashanti                               0244129087
  5. Mr. Rashid Ziblim                           Financial Secretary         Mamprobi, Accra                        0243771111
  6. Miss. Henrietta Cudjoe                  Treasurer                           RMS-Takoradi                              0244969540
  7. Mr.Mohamadu Abdulai                 PRO                                    RMS.Takoradi                               0244512525

                                                       COPTED BY NEC    

  1. Mr. Bernard Asamany                  Trustee                               SSDM                                               0244218445
  2. Mr. Prosper Kutame                     Trustee                               SSDM                                               0244221524
  3. Miss. Gloria Gyamerah                 Trustee                               Achimota                                        replaced Kutame                

 

The Late Mr. Prosper Kutame was transferred from the Central Medical Stores to Head the Ghana Health Service Stores at the Headquarters. Coincidentally, this accelerated the formation of the Association. He used his position at the Head Office to play a significant role in the growth of the Association.

All the interim Executive members were scattered across the country leaving him alone at the Head Office. In most cases, he was ably supported by Mr. Bernard Asamany, Miss. Irene Akaab and Mr. Joseph Kotie-Nkansah to perform the Association’s duties.

Also, the Deputy Director, of Procurement, Mrs. Araba Kudiabor always offered us her office for our executive committee meetings. She also occasionally sat in our meetings when she was free to offer her contributions.

Mr. Frank Yamoah Otchere before being elected as President played a significant voluntary role as though he was part of the executive. He stood in and represented the executive committee members whenever they were not around to attend to some external meetings. He also attended meetings with the National Executive Committee whenever they met with the “Ghana Health Service Workers Union, Ghana Health Service Council, GHS management, FWSC, Labour Commission etc.

ASSOCIATION’S LOGO

Mr. Bernard Asamany designed the Association’s logo at no cost. This was when the Association was preparing for the Takoradi conference in 2009. The members of the association wanted to appear in uniform in Takoradi but did not have any identity then. Mr. Asamany, therefore designed three logos for consideration by the conference planning committee. The logo we are using now was unanimously approved. This was immediately sent to a printing house for T-shirts to be printed for the conference.

ASSOCIATION’S CLOTH

Mr. Prosper Kutame was also responsible for the designing and printing of the Association cloth. Four samples of designs were brought from the textile factory, and the two designs we are using now were accepted for printing by the National Executive Committee members.

SAD EVENT

On the 18th of March 2010, one of the founding members, the past interim President passed away at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and was buried on 1st May 2010. Members from all over the regions attended to give him a befitting burial for his enormous contributions towards the formation of the Association.