Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, has disclosed that the entire frontline workers at various health facilities across the country have received their allowances.
According to him, the delay for those who are yet to receive their allowances may be due to some technical issues with their account details.
Dr Kuma Aboagye’s comments follow threats by members of the Covid-19 Taskforce team at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital to withdraw their services for non-payment of their 50% basic salary allowance. This, according to the health workers, was promised by the government in July 2020.
Additionally, the Director General further revealed that, the technical challenges will be duly rectified and the affected persons paid in due time.
“So far as we are concerned, all designated frontline workers have been paid. All those people who were defined as frontline workers have been dealt with and if there are outstanding ones, they may be either having issues with their account number or something and that’s what is causing the delay.”
Citing other possible reasons for those who haven’t received their allowances, Dr Kuma Aboagye further noted that, the movement of workers from the frontline designation might account partly for the delays that some have encountered.
“It is not one person who does the work. You work in a lab; you did three months and someone came to replace you. And so, all those changes make it tedious to ensure that all those who are moved out are taken out and those who move in are paid. And that’s what caused the initial delay but currently, almost everyone has been paid”.
Procurement of vaccines
Commenting on the procurement of vaccines, the Director General at GHS explained that his outfit is working hard to ensure the vaccines get to the country. This, he noted, will ensure that those who are due for the second jab would receive them.
“Efforts are being made to ensure they have their first shot.”
GHS pledges laboratory
Dr Kuma Aboagye also lauded the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Akosua Sarpong, for her distinguished role in getting the testing centre in place.
“You are going to get a P3 laboratory- a prefabricated lab- that’s a very high-level support system for the region so that not only you can get access to the PCR but all the Public health reference diseases and other diseases would be available for you.
“We will work with the region to identify where it would be done since it is a prefabricated lab, it would be just lifted and put at the designated place”.
On her part, the Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Akosua Sarpong revealed that her outfit spent some funds on transportation to send specimen and get the results of the specimen. This, according to her, had implications for clinical decision-making particularly when it came to taking the specimen and receiving the results delayed.
“As a region, we made a request to the Director -General and he being so responsive and caring for the people of the Central Region and also for the country, worked so hard to get the PCR machine through the donation of Nalex.”
Dr. Akosua Sarpong promised the facility would be put to use to quicken the pace of testing and the receipt of results.
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