By Benjamin Akoto
Hwidiem (Ahafo), April 07, GNA – Madam Charity Gardner, the Ahafo Regional Minister has assured the government’s commitment to better the condition of services of health workers serving in the deprived communities nationwide.
In that regard, she said the government had plans to offer a five per cent salary increment and other incentives to health workers who accepted postings to serve in rural areas.
She said the packages were part of a broader strategy to enhance the nation’s healthcare service delivery and thereby improve health outcomes.
The Regional Minister gave the assurance when she launched the 33rd National World Day of the Sick, of the Catholic Health Service Trust-Ghana at the St Elizabeth Catholic Hospital at Hwidiem in the Asutifi South District of the Region.
It was on the theme: “Hope does not disappoint, but strengthens us in times of trial”, an inspiration picked from the Holy Bible (Romans 5:5). Madam Gardner said the government acknowledged the challenges faced by health workers, saying strategies had been designed to tackle those challenges and alleviate the plight of health workers.
She said the government had uncapped health insurance funding to ensure timely payments of claims to accredited healthcare providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Madam Gardner said a very soon regional hospital would be constructed in the region, saying the introduction of the “Mahama Care” was a significant step aimed at covering all expenses for individuals with chronic illnesses. Plans are also advanced for the establishment of a medical university to serve the Bono and Ahafo Regions.
The Most Reverend Peter Paul Yelezuome Angkyier, the Catholic Bishop of Damango and the Episcopal Chair of Health, said sickness could lead to transformative experiences, offering a solid foundation during life challenges.
“That reinforces the idea that individuals are not alone in their suffering”, he stated, adding “God does not forsake His people to face their struggles alone” rather “often provides unexpected strength that they can’t have discovered on their own”.
The Catholic Priest stresses that “suffering enhances awareness of true hope found in the Lord, which carries a promise of salvation and allows individuals to experience God’s comforting presence more profoundly”.
GNA
DEN/CAA