Nurses Petition Akufo-Addo To Ensure All Frontline Workers Enjoy Stimulus Package

The Coalition of Concern Nurses of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) is calling on the President Akufo-Addo to ensure that all frontline workers benefit from the already announced stimulus package as they continue the fight against the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

The President in his 5th nationwide address announced that effective April 2020, frontline health workers in the pandemic fight will among other things receive an additional allowance of 50% of the basic salary per month for the next three months as well as a three-month waiver on tax.

According to the Coalition of Concerned Nurses of CHAG, they have cited a letter which indicates that only 40 workers with certain specialties at Hospitals under CHAG will be selected to enjoy these packages.

This, the group say smack of partiality, brings discrimination and bias towards many.

Speaking to Modernghana News on the matter, Bilekmiah Moses Liman who is the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Coalition has indicated that the arrangement of selecting a few health workers means unfair treatment for the lot.

“Even if the President decides not to pay the 50% to anybody at all, fair enough. That would have been a simple case than paying this package to some few people and leaving others. How can I work in the same ward with Ama, Ama will take and I Moses will not get. This is unfair treatment”, he lamented.

The Coalition is calling on the citizenry to show interest in the matter and not allow policymakers to bring the morale of nurses and Midwives down. They insist that it will further worsen the already weak and vulnerable health system and in the long round affect the fight against the COVID-19.

Read the press statement from the Coalition of Concern Nurses of CHAG below:

PRESS STATEMENT

20th , APRIL 2020.

Coalition of concern Nurses of CHAG (CCNC)

It has come to the notice of the aforementioned group of nurses and Midwives that ,CHAG is requesting for names of staff to be submitted to government and it's agencies for payment of the 50% for frontline health workers. In the said letter CHAG is requesting for staff at OPD, Laboratory staff, staff at the triaging unit , prescribers at post , Security men at main gate , Revenue collectors who come into contact with patients, while neglecting nurses at the ward , who comes into contact with patients during monitoring of vital signs and serving of medications every four,six , eight, twelve and 24hrs respectively .This letter is restricting hospitals to present only forty (40) health workers and clinics to present fifteen ( 15) health workers.

We therefore wish to bring to the attention of his Excellency the president of the republic of Ghana, Ministry of health , the covid 19 select committee and all Ghanaians, that we appreciate the measures put in place so far to prevent the spread of viruse and the Tax exemption given to all health workers but we see the directive on the side of the 50%,as discreminatory,bias and we believe ,this directive should not be used to determine payment of frontline health workers.

We all are witnesses to the fact that nurses and other health professionals have been quarantined on several occasions ,tested and even shown to be positive for covid 19 , after coming into contact with patients ,who have been admitted in their facilities without the facilities knowing that they are covid 19 patients ,the question several of us continue to ask ourselves is that where lies our fate should we contract the viruse.

This has further made us to raise questions about the insurance package that was announced by government, which was also meant for this same frontliners and where lies the fate of those health workers who have already gotten the viruses and were not necessarily selected, as this letter seems to suggest.

We wish to call on all Ghanaians to show interest in this matter, and not to allow our policy makers to bring the morale of our nurses and Midwives down, which will further worsen our already weak and vulnerable health system and in the long round affect our fight against the covid 19.

Attached is the blue print copy of the said document for your perusal.

Thank you.

Signed..................

CONVENER:

Akugri Gadafi Avokbil.

SDA Hospital Obuasi.

0248401659/0242293680

SECRETARY

Yogri Michael

Valley View hospital Techiman

+233 24 995 2873

PRO