STAAG CALLS FOR HEARING, SPEECH THERAPY SERVICES IN REGIONAL HOSPITALS

This major healthcare crisis was brought to light by Major Emmanuel Deladem Nkornoo, President of the Speech, Therapy and Audiology Association of Ghana (STAAG), during the organization's Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference held in Accra. The conference, centered on the theme "Shaping the Future of Communication and Hearing Healthcare: From Evidence to Impact," served as a platform to push for urgent policy transformations in the national health sector. A Decade of Zero Financial Clearance Major Nkornoo revealed a startling reality: despite the first batch of specialized professionals graduating back in 2013, the Ministry of Health has never issued financial clearance to hire them. Graduates from top-tier national institutions—including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS)—are left stranded without employment. Currently, STAAG has a registered membership of 95 professionals, consisting of 37 speech and language therapists and 58 audiologists. Out of this total, less than five audiologists are officially on the Ministry of Health’s payroll. Even worse, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) currently employs zero audiologists on its direct payroll. The handful of practitioners currently working are mostly individuals who were already integrated into the health system before pursuing their master's degrees. Compounding the crisis, the Single Spine Salary Structure completely lacks a designated slot for speech and language therapy skills. As a result, licensed therapists saving lives at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital are erroneously categorized as audiologists on the government payment system. Calls for Regional Hospital Facilities and NHIS Inclusion In response to these gaps, STAAG is demanding the immediate rollout of specialized communication and hearing clinics across all tiers of public healthcare. "We want these services established at every regional hospital first, before eventually expanding them to municipal and district facilities," Major Nkornoo stated. The association is also championing two major financial relief measures for patients: • NHIS Coverage: A formal petition to include audiology, speech therapy, and hearing aid services under the National Health Insurance Scheme. • Tax Waivers: A call for tax exemptions on imported hearing aids and diagnostic tools. Currently, a single mid-range hearing aid in Ghana costs between GH¢10,000 and GH¢25,000. Because these devices are priced in foreign currencies like US Dollars and Euros, the cost remains entirely out of reach for average citizens. STAAG warned that leaving hearing loss untreated severely stunting children's educational progress and psychological gro