The Upper East Regional Secretariat of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives of Ghana (UPNMG) is calling on the government to extend its incentive package for frontline health workers to include all health workers in the wake of the COVID-19 spike in the country.
Government as part of measures to cushion health workers to help stop the spread of Coronavirus in Ghana provided frontline health workers 50 percent monthly allowances, tax waivers and an insurance package.
But UPNMG argues that the pandemic has claimed the lives of non-frontline health workers in their line of duty hence the need for a review to cover all health workers.
Speaking to Citi News after donating PPE to the War Memorial hospital in Navrongo, Regional president of UPNMG, Mahamadu Issah, said, government must come to the aid of all health workers with the incentive package, adding that, every health worker could contract and die from COVID-19 in their line of duty.
“We know many of our members have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. At the War memorial hospital here, 17 health workers have contracted the disease, of which one nurse, Mr. Nsoh Solomon died of it”.
“Government announced a relief package to health staff especially frontline health workers, we want to state that, the numbers we are recording now are not members coming from the treatment centres or frontlines. We want to call on government to extend the 50 percent salary allowance and other incentive package given to the frontline health workers to be extended to cover all health workers”.
Mr. Issah also admonished the timely release of COVID-19 test results particularly health workers to allay their anxiety as it could retard their productivity.
He lamented that the time duration of between five days to one week for COVID-19 testing centres to release test results was worrying and called on the centres to reduce their lead times.
Acting medical superintendent of War memorial hospital, Dr. Eric Wedem, commended UPNMG for their timely intervention with the provision of PPE to the facility and appealed for more PPE to support the facility in its fight against COVID-19.
Dr. Wedem allayed fears that the facility was still infectious of COVID-19, adding that, the facility has been fumigated and safe to provide health care services.
