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27.04.2020 Press Release

COVID-19: Tax Exemption, 50% Allowance And Life Insurance Package For Frontline Health Workers; The Sorry Plight Of Environmental Health Officers In Ghana

By Environmental Health Officers (EHOs)
COVID-19: Tax Exemption, 50 Allowance And Life Insurance Package For Frontline Health Workers; The Sorry Plight Of Environmental Health Officers In Ghana
27.04.2020 LISTEN

Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are the Allied Health Professionals under the HEALTH PROFESSIONS REGULATORY BODIES ACT of 2013 and are working under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) with the MMMDAs, Port Health Unit, and hospitals at the MOH among others. EHOs across the country and are currently at the post because they fall under the essential services under the National Labour Act and further exempted by the President's directives in the COVID-19 restrictions as Environmental And Sanitation Activities/Services

Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are Frontline Health Officers as enshrined in the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851); Part One-Communicable Diseases, Part Four-Vector Control and Part Five-Environmental Sanitation and as further stated in sections 54 & 173 of this same Act 851. Moreover, EHOs are stationed at all the Ports of Entry (POEs) in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.

According to the COVID-19 National Trainer Of Trainers (TOT) document which was presented in a PowerPoint slides by the Ministry Of Health MOH/Ghana Health Service (GHS), Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are part of the Public Health Emergency Response Teams (PHERRT) ranging from National, Regional, District, Sub-District and Community Levels. EHOs are mentioned and assigned professional duties on slide number 46 (Composition of Regional/District PHEMC- Regional/District Environmental Health Officer). On slide number 52, Environmental Health Officer was also mentioned on the same composition of the PHERRC.

Interestingly, on the management of COVID-19 patients in isolation/treatment centres on slide number 64, Disinfection team member/ hygienist and Access to a burial team was mentioned which is the role/duty of the Environmental Health Officer and on slide number 66, Disinfection team (Environmental Health officers) were also mentioned as District Team members. However on slide 68, Disinfection team (Environmental Health Officers) was mentioned further as Regional team members.

Technically, On roles and responsibilities of the public health emergency rapid response team members, slide number 76, Hygienist/ Disinfection, Disinfection at the case management/ treatment centre (staff, patient items, treatment centres after outbreak), Disinfection of dead bodies, Disinfection of transport vehicles, Disinfection of patient homes/items etc. the Environmental Health Officer was assigned the aforementioned duties. Also, on slide 78, Burial teams, Burial of corpses, Disinfection etc. are the technical duties of EHOs.

Furthermore, on slide 286-290, talk about House Spraying (The house where the patient lived when he/she was sick needs to be disinfected. The team can spray and disinfect all surfaces touched by the patient with 0.5% chlorine before transporting the patient to the TC.

If the house cannot be disinfected immediately, then the door of the house needs to be locked and the windows opened. No one is allowed to enter the house until disinfection has been done. Arrival at the treatment centre TC (The patient can be helped out of the car (if ambulant) or transported with a stretcher into the designated ward. All surfaces touched by the patient needs to be disinfected. The path of travel with the patient must be disinfected with 0.5% chlorine if indicated and Disinfection of the car (The back of the vehicle where the patient was transported and all other items used in patient transport need to be properly disinfected with a 0.5% chlorine solution. One sprayer can do the spraying and surface disinfection on the spot and after disinfection the items can be dried in the sun before being reused, of which these duties/responsibilities are being performed by the Environmental Health Officer.

Additionally, on community deaths, dead bodies and waste disposal as outlined in slide numbers 390-397 are professional duties of Environmental Health Officers in this COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. On Disinfection Procedures for COVID-19 Isolation Wards, slide number 453-461 as clearly indicated and instructed vividly are the duties of the Environmental Health Officer.

It is ironic, sad and unfortunate to note that, after Environmental Health Officers have been assigned the numerous aforementioned professional duties as part/members of the Public Health Emergency Response Teams (PHERRT) across the country, with its associated high risk to their lives and families, Environmental Health Officers are left out and sidelined on the motivation package i.e. Tax Exemption, 50% Allowance (April-June, 2020) and Life Insurance Package for Frontline Health Workers. At the end of April, 2020, all the staff on the payroll of the Ministry Of Health (MOH) were given Tax Exemption on their salaries whilst the modalities for implementing the 50% Allowance for the Frontline Health Workers are yet to be finalized and implemented hopefully by end of May, 2020 which will include the arrears for April, 2020.

Sadly, no Environmental Health Officer in Ghana had received this Tax Exemption at the end of April, 2020 as has been done for their other Public Health Emergency Response Teams (PHERRT) members who are also Health Workers. If all staff on the payroll of MOH are given the Tax Exemption and awaiting for the payment of 50% Allowance for the Frontline Health Workers as indicated, trained and assigned duties in the National COVID-19 Training of Training (TOT) document. Why it is that, government and the relevant authorities are not applying this same approach or criteria of motivation to be warmly extended to EHOs across the country as Frontline Health Workers too?????.

As a former Public Health Emergency Response Team Member on Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) and Cholera as an Environmental Health Officer, with reference to the assigned duties and responsibilities outlined for EHOs in this COVID-19 fight, and having buried and disinfected a couple of COVID-19 Dead Bodies, there is no absolute doubt that EHOs are Frontline Health Workers as enshrined in the Public Health Act 2012, (Act 851, sections 54 & 173) and therefore Deserves the Tax Exemption, 50% Allowance And Life Insurance Package For Frontline Health Workers announced by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana for all Health Workers.

Thank you

By Concerned Environmental Health Practitioner

Samuel Yaw Agyemang-Badu

Certified Environmental Health Officer

[email protected]

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