The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori Ampomfo has appealed to the government to give sustained insurance cover for health workers and provide adequate protective gears to the frontline health workers to ensure their safety against any possible infection as Ghana battles Monkey pox, Covid-19 and Marburg Virus Diseases.
Currently, Ghana has recorded two confirmed cases of Marburg virus disease, as well as five cases of monkey pox and about 1,026 active covid-19 cases.
She explained to Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show that it is very important just like a bit of it was done during the height of the covid 19 pandemic but even with that those who suffered physically ill or got infested were to be paid some amount of money but it didn’t materialize. So it is important that the ministry of health and its agencies put in place a mechanism for insurance cover for all health workers at the frontline.
“I think that when it comes to us health professionals, being on the frontlines is not easy. We have seen a lot in terms of the Covid-19 pandemic; the loss of lives among health professionals and those who had contracted the virus and those who got physically ill, and it important that Ghana Health Service or the ministry of health and its agencies to look at putting in some insurance cover for health professionals. We must have sustained insurance cover” Madam Ofori Ampofo emphasized
She also called for institutions to reintroduce the mandatory hand washing and application of hand sanitizers to help protect each other from the diseases. “Institutions should bring back the hand washing equipment they used to have in front of their offices and on their premises during the height of COVID.
“At this time we cannot call for any restriction of movement of people which can have a huge impact on the economy. What we need to do is to adhere to some of the simple guidelines that we have been given and ensure as people, we protect ourselves and others from the virus. It is important we wear masks, maintain social distances and wash our hands to protect ourselves and others” she appealed.
Madam Ofori Ampofo has observed that adherence to protocols is very low and even with the vaccination, there are some workers of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) who have not taken their second jabs and boosters as health professionals.
The leader of the nurses and midwives urges the government to procure a lot of equipment and protective gear such as gloves, nose masks, aprons, apparels, sanitizers among others and make them available to health professionals across the country so that they can frequently change them.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu|3news.com|Ghana
