Bolgatanga, July 8, GNA – The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Mrs Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, says families of nurses and midwives who died of COVID-19 in their line of duty are yet to receive compensation packages.
“About six of our comrades passed on due to COVID-19, and we are following up. From what the families tell us, they haven’t received any compensation,” she disclosed.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo, who was responding to a question by a GRNMA member in Bolgatanga on COVID-19 compensation packages for nurses and midwives who got infected in their line of duty, said “Those who got infected, we are told some have been paid.”
The Association’s President in the company of national executives was in the Upper East Region as part of a nationwide tour to interact with members of the Association across the country to discuss issues of concern to them.
Prior to her meeting with members of the Association in the Bolgatanga Municipality, the GRNMA President and her entourage earlier interacted with members from the Nabdam and Talensi Districts.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo reminded members that the COVID-19 insurance packages were in three categories, for members who got infected, those who were critically ill, and those who died from the virus.
She noted that for deaths, leadership of the GRNMA was following up to ensure that families received their packages, and said according to the Ministry of Health (MoH), majority of those who got infected had been paid.
She said majority of frontline workers were also paid, “So if you are part and you know your name was submitted by the Regional Health Directorate and you have not received it, let us know so we can have specific names we can go and follow up on.”
The GRNMA President indicated that several nurses and midwives fell victim to the virus over the period, saying “The first wave from March, April, May, a lot of us got infected. The second wave, December and January this year, some also got infected”.
She said names of those who got infected from the Regions were forwarded to the MoH by the various Regional Health Directorates, and explained that the insurance company initially wanted authentication before they paid and that delayed.
“The Ministry told the insurance company that so far as the Regions have submitted those names, it means that those persons were infected, so they started paying,” she added.
Mrs Ofori-Ampofo said the challenge with members was that they did not inform leadership of the Association if they received payment, “So we don’t know those who have been paid and those who have not been paid”.
GNA