Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has warned boards of public health institutions against interfering in daily administration, saying clear governance-management boundaries are essential for accountability.

“The day-to-day running of the institution is not the responsibility of the Board or Board members,” Mr Akandoh said at the Ministry of Health’s High-Level Mid-Year Review Retreat in Ho.

The Minister made the remarks on the second day of the retreat on Sunday, August 16, 2026, during a corporate governance session focused on the respective responsibilities of boards and management teams in public health institutions.

He said boards were responsible for oversight, while Chief Executive Officers and management teams must handle the day-to-day administration of their institutions. Respecting the distinction, he noted, would help minimise institutional conflicts and enable managers to perform their duties effectively.

Mr Akandoh also urged health institutions to exercise greater discipline in the use of public funds, particularly expenditure on seminars, training programmes and official travel. Such spending, he said, must be justified by necessity, efficiency and measurable benefits to the health sector.

The Minister further called for appropriate Legislative Instruments (LIs) to strengthen the legal and administrative frameworks governing health agencies. He said clearer legal mandates would help prevent infractions, strengthen accountability and ensure institutions operate within their defined responsibilities.

He urged participants to approach the governance training as a practical opportunity to understand their mandates rather than treat it as another administrative requirement.

According to Mr Akandoh, clearly defined responsibilities would also make it easier to assess institutional performance and hold the appropriate officers accountable for decisions and outcomes.

The retreat is bringing together health-sector officials and stakeholders to review institutional performance and strengthen governance systems across public health agencies.

Mr Akandoh said effective governance, prudent resource management and adherence to institutional mandates were critical to keeping public health institutions focused on their core responsibility of delivering quality healthcare to Ghanaians.