Health Workers ‘Engine of National Development’—FWSC Chief Executive Tells 2026 Health Summit
The Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Dr. George Smith-Graham, has described health workers as the “engine of national development” and key to Ghana achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
“Health workers are not just caregivers. They are critical drivers of national development and the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage,” Dr. Smith-Graham told policymakers, development partners, labor leaders, and health professionals at the 2026 Annual Health Summit in Accra on Tuesday.
The summit, themed “Building a Resilient Workforce to Accelerate the Attainment of Universal Health Coverage,” was graced by Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as special guest of honor.
Motivated workforce.
Speaking at the summit, Dr. Smith-Graham said a resilient health system cannot exist without a resilient, motivated, and fairly rewarded workforce.
He argued that motivation and fair pay directly affect productivity and quality of care. “A resilient health system can only be built on a resilient, motivated, productive, and fairly rewarded workforce. When health workers feel valued, patients receive better care,” he stated.
Linking pay to performance
Dr Smith-Graham briefed stakeholders on two key reforms: Government’s plan to establish the Independent Emoluments Commission (IEC), to make public sector pay setting more transparent, equitable and data-driven and a forthcoming National Job Evaluation Exercise to assess all public service jobs objectively based on responsibility, complexity, skills and working conditions.
He urged health sector actors to support the reform agenda through professionalism, accountability, and innovation to build a health workforce capable of driving sustainable development.
“The Commission remains committed to working with government, organised labour and all stakeholders to build a productive, motivated, and resilient public service that delivers quality healthcare for every Ghanaian,” he added.
The summit brought together health leaders to discuss strategies for strengthening Ghana’s health workforce amid growing demands for universal access to healthcare.
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