Ghana Health Service to institute annual award scheme for workers

The Ghana Health Service Council is set to institute an award scheme to honour deserving workers in the health sector, Mr William Frimpong Bonsu, a Council Member has announced.

It would be an improvement on their living conditions, to motivate them to work harder, and accept postings to rural and deprived communities in the country, he said.

Accordingly, he explained the Council had set up a committee which was holding discussions for the launch of the annual award by the close of the year.

Mr Bonsu gave the announcement when he was addressing a durbar of Management and staff of the Goaso Government Hospital on Tuesday, as part of the Council’s visit to the Ahafo Region.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with some members of the Council were on a two-day working visit to interact with, identify and help tackle peculiar challenges confronting the health sector in the region.

The visits took them to the Sankore Health Centre in the Asunafo South District and the Subonpan Community-based Health Planning and Services Compound (CHPS) in the Tano North Municipality of the Region.

Under the award scheme, Mr Bonsu explained 60 per cent of the award would be concentrated on health workers serving in deprived and rural communities in the country.

He emphasised the Council had prioritised and was working hard to ensure that the general welfare of health workers were improved, and called on the workers to continue with their selfless services to the nation.

Mr Bonsu reminded the health workers to remain disciplined, tolerant and forbearing and adhere to professional ethics and standards to help change the negative perception people had about health workers.

He said compassion for the sick remained a cardinal principle of the profession and asked the health workers to sacrifice their lives to save lives and project positive attitude and image in the public space.

Mr Bonsu said it was imperative for the health workers to upgrade themselves, but cautioned them to pursue courses relevant to their work.

On his part Dr Kuma-Aboagye explained the GHS was being rebranded, and asked the health workers to be dedicated to duty as the Council worked to improve on their condition of service.

He indicated healthcare services were needed mostly in rural communities and entreated particularly nurses and midwives to accept postings to serve in deprived communities to enhance the health status of rural dwellers.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye again asked the health workers to upscale COVID-19 vaccination campaign to ensure that more people were vaccinated to prevent the spread of the viral disease.