In a press conference held today, GHIMA president Richard Delali Ahedor warned that unqualified and unlicensed personnel managing health information in Ghanaian health facilities pose a serious risk to patient safety, the quality of care and the implementation of government health policies.
The association cited the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), which requires the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) to regulate, accredit and license allied health professionals, including those in Health Information Management (HIM). GHIMA stressed that a valid AHPC licence is legally mandatory for anyone practising HIM in Ghana.
Mr Ahedor said, "Clinical decisions, health policy, and patient safety depend on accurate health data. HIM functions must, therefore, be performed by practitioners who hold a recognised HIM qualification and a valid AHPC license." He urged heads of healthcare facilities to assign HIM responsibilities to licensed professionals and to support continuous professional development.
GHIMA also encouraged HIM graduates and practitioners without certification to register with the AHPC and complete the required licensing examinations. The association appealed to the government and health agencies to prioritise the employment and deployment of licensed HIM professionals, especially as the country expands access to healthcare services.
During the maiden General Meeting of GHIMA’s Ashanti Regional Chapter, General Secretary James Amewudah highlighted the shortage of health information officers in some facilities and warned that the absence of qualified staff could undermine the monitoring and evaluation of major initiatives such as Mahama Care and the Free Primary Healthcare programme. He added, "We recognise that all the initiatives that are being run now, for instance, the Mahama Care, free healthcare, they all need to be evaluated and monitored. If we don’t do monitoring and evaluation, resources that are pumped into these initiatives won’t be known if they’ve achieved their purpose or goal or not."
GHIMA’s call comes as the health sector seeks to strengthen data integrity to support evidence‑based decisions and to ensure that government programmes deliver on their promises. The association’s stance underscores the critical link between professional standards in HIM and the overall effectiveness of Ghana’s health system.
