Akufo-Addo announces more incentives for health workers

President Akufo-Addo has extended the incentive package for health workers for another three months.

As the first package announced on April 5 expires on Tuesday, while the virus continues to spread, the President said the country’s frontline health workers will continue to receive the package including tax cuts, 50% basic salary as an allowance until September.

This means that all health workers will pay no income taxes for the next three months— July, August and September.

“Again, all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, will continue to receive the additional allowance of 50% of their basic salary per month, that is for July, August and September,” the President said during his 13th update on COVID-19 on Sunday.

Almost three months after the package was announced, the beneficiary health workers are yet to be paid.

But the President said the barriers had been removed.

“I know the implementation of this directive for the months of April, May and June has been fraught with some challenges, caused, mainly, by the protracted discussions over the definition of who qualifies as “frontline health workers” in this context.

“I have, however, been assured that they have now been resolved, and payments will be effected from the end of June. I should reiterate that the insurance package for health workers is still in place,” he said, at a time when at least 160 healthcare workers have been infected with the virus while at least three have died.

“Whilst we appreciate the efforts of our health workers, I continue to urge them to remain professional and compassionate. Every avoidable death, be it corona-related or not, is a tragedy,” he added.

The President also reminded the public of the need to be on their guard and adhere to all protocols meant to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, which has killed at least 112 people since March 21.

“Let us all be reminded, in our daily routines, that adhering to the enhanced social distancing and hygiene protocols will not only save our lives but also prevent our healthcare infrastructure from being over-burdened.

“Let us wash our hands with soap under running water, use alcohol-based sanitizers, maintain the protocols on social distancing, avoid person-to-person contact, eat our local foods that boost our immune systems, and, yes, wear masks at all times when we leave our homes.

“These are the weapons of our battle. We must keep our guard up at all times, and see to it that sooner, rather than later, COVID-19 becomes nothing but a blip on our forward march to sustained development, progress and prosperity,” he said.