By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Sept. 14, GNA – The District Directors of Health Services Group (DDHS-G), Ghana, have appealed to the government to address their conditions of service.
Dr Justice Thomas Sevugu, the National Chairman of the DDHS-G, who made the appeal, noted that the group did not have any meaningful negotiations on salary adjustments and related matters since the introduction of the Single Spine Salary Structure.
He was speaking at the opening of a four-day Annual General Conference of the group in Bolgatanga on the theme: “From Policy to Practice: The DDHS Driving Free Primary Health Care in Ghana.”
The conference was graced by Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Upper East Regional Director of the GHS, the Chiana-Pio, Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, Paramount Chief of the Chiana Traditional Area among other top officials from the GHS.
It was chaired by Professor Albert Luguterah, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) and brought together District Directors of the GHS from across the country.
Dr Sevugu said the DDHS-G played a critical role in translating national health policies into practical interventions but lacked a formal structure for negotiating their conditions of service.
He said apart from the DDHS-G, other affected groups included the regional directors and other technical executive groups responsible for implementing health policies.
“We are not professional associations. We are technical executive groups that help to translate policy to practice,” the DDHS-G National Chairman noted.
He expressed concern that the groups had been left out of discussions on financial conditions, salary adjustments and other aspects of their employment.
“Since 2010, when the Single Spine was rolled out, there has not been any boardroom discussions concerning these three groups as to their conditions of service,” he noted.
The appeal came alongside a broader account of welfare initiatives undertaken by health workers themselves to support colleagues facing various social and financial challenges.
The DDHS-G chairman said within one year, more than GH¢680,000 had been paid to 20 retired beneficiaries, while GH¢150,000 was provided to members affected by disasters.
He disclosed that the welfare system also supported several people to undertake wedding-related activities and provided GH¢27,000 to bereaved members.
He noted that the funds came from personal contributions of members and not health facility or Budget Management Committees funds.
He explained that the initiative was intended to strengthen the welfare of health workers and reduce some of the pressures affecting them, so they could concentrate on healthcare delivery.
Dr Sevugu urged authorities to consider establishing a mechanism through which the conditions of service of the affected technical groups could be formally discussed and negotiated.
He stressed that staff welfare was important to sustaining an effective healthcare system.
Despite the concerns, the Directors reaffirmed their commitment to implementing government health policies for improved services at the community level.
“Like soldiers, we are ready in the battlefield. Whatever direction instructions are given, we shall deliver up to the target,” Dr Sevugu said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Reporter’s email: [email protected]