Confusion Over ‘Frontline Workers’

It follows the announcement of some incentives and insurance package for those thought to be ‘frontline’ workers, especially in the healthcare sector by the President.

At a meeting at the Jubilee House today, the leadership of the various categories of health workers including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Pharmaceuticals Society of Ghana (PSGh), Allied Health Professionals Association (AHPA), Ghana Association of Certified Anaesthetics (GACA) and the Ghana Physicians Assistants Association (GPAA), invited by the President as part of his stakeholder consultations on COVID-19 held different opinions on the matter, with each trying to push the interest of their members.

Even though they all agreed to the fact that they are essential service providers and frontline health workers, in this case, each of them argued why they deserved much more than their other colleague health professionals in terms of incentives.

An obviously worried President Akufo-Addo thus stressed the need for the issue over who qualifies to be called a frontline health worker to be properly defined to avoid the seeming confusion it has generated since his announcement.

He, therefore, assured the health workers that the issue will be resolved in the coming days for things to be put right.

His major concern was the safety of the health workers in these difficult times which he said it remains key on the government’s agenda.

“Some of the things you have heard me say, the special arrangements that are being made for health workers, all of it are within the objective of ensuring that you feel reasonably protected, reasonably secured to be able to go out and give off your best”, he said.

“It would be excellent if all the demands or wishes that you have could all be met. It won’t be, but we will do our best to meet the essential ones and that is what we are trying to do,” President Akufo-Addo emphasised.

The health workers, however, had cause to complain about the limited numbers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at their various health facilities.

They urged the government to make good its promise to ensure the supply of PPEs to all health workers.

On that score, President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the shortfall while indicating that the local production of PPEs will bridge the shortages that exist in certain places in the country.

Source: Dailyguidnetwork