Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has been appointed Minister for Health-designate by President Akufo-Addo.
President Akufo-Addo on February 14, unveiled significant changes to his ministerial team in a major cabinet reshuffle, responding to growing calls for a shake-up.
Dr Okoe Boye is expected to take over from the current Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who many called for his removal due to some controversy in the procurement of some COVID-19 vaccines by the government.
The Ministry of Health is, however, no new area to Dr Okoe Boye.
In April 2020, President Akufo-Addo swore in Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, then Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, as a Deputy Minister of Health. The President charged him with supporting the Minister of Health in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
A transition team led by Dr. Isaac Noble Morrison (Board Member, NHIA) in April 2022 ushered in the new Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Hon. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye into office.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Executive, Hon. Dr. Okoe Boye thanked the Almighty God and the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the opportunity to lead the NHIA and contribute to its positive growth. He disclosed his desire to make a positive impact within the next 2 years and galvanized the support of Management to work together to achieve this goal.
Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye recently secured a landslide victory to represent the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ledzokuku Constituency in the 2024 Parliamentary election, making him eligible to be appointed Minister.
Dr. Boye, a former Member ofParliament for Ledzokuku secured 902 votes out of the total valid votes cast.
His closest contender, Collins Nii Ashitey Ollenu secured 354 of the valid votes while Clifford Martey managed to secure 199 votes.
Per Section 78 (1) of the 1992 constitution reads that “Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament.”
Born in Teshie in the Greater Accra Region on January 25, 1982, Dr Oko Boye is a New Patriotic Party member.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) from Hamburg School of Applied Science, an A1 Certificate In German (Goethe Institute, Accra), BSc In Medicine and Surgery from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and BSc Human Biology from the same institution.
Dr Okoe Boye is an old student of the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC-Legon).
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