The Ghana Health Service GHS is set to institute an award scheme to honor deserving workers in the health sector.
GHS maintains that it is committed to improving working conditions, and the awards will complement efforts to motivate health professionals in the country.
Announcing the new interventions, GHS Council Member William Frimpong Bonsu indicated that they were introducing moves to encourage health workers to accept postings to rural and deprived communities in the country.
Accordingly, he explained the council has set up a committee, saying discussions were progressing for the launch of the annual award by the close of the year.
Mr. Bonsu gave the announcement when addressing a durbar of management and staff of the Goaso Government Hospital as part of the council’s visit to the Ahafo Region.
Under the award scheme, Mr Bonsu explained that 60 per cent of the award would be concentrated on health workers serving in deprived and rural communities in the country.
He emphasized that the council had prioritized and was working hard to ensure that the general welfare of health workers was improved and called on the workers to continue with their selfless services to the nation.
Mr. Bonsu reminded the health workers to remain disciplined and tolerant and adhere to professional ethics and standards to help change people’s negative perception of 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 to project a positive attitude and image in the public space.
Mr Bonsu said the health workers needed to upgrade themselves but cautioned them to pursue courses relevant to their work.
Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the GHS and some council members were on a two-day working visit to interact, identify and help tackle peculiar challenges confronting the health sector in the region.
On his part, Dr Kuma-Aboagye explained that 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 that 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 also asked the health workers to upscale COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to ensure that more lives get saved.