By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, June 20, GNA – Over 300 staff members of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have received Presidential Awards in recognition of their contribution towards the response against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The awards scheme, initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is to acknowledge the immense contributions of frontline health workers, who distinguished themselves in their line of work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the recipients were nurses, midwives, doctors, radiographers, pharmacists, nutrition officers, laboratory technicians, drivers, electricians, and laundry attendants.
The awardees were presented with a certificate of recognition signed by President Akuffo-Addo.
The TTH was also awarded a citation of honour and a plaque as a facility that demonstrated resilience and provided an enabling environment during the outbreak.
The award was a regional segment of the symbolic ceremony held in Accra earlier this year by the President to acknowledge worthy frontline workers covering all sectors of the nation.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, who presented the awards to recipients on behalf of the President at a ceremony in Tamale, said the certificates were a national honour to frontline workers, who made sacrifices carrying out various duties with diligence to save lives during the pandemic.
Alhaji Saibu reiterated that the gesture was government’s appreciation for the awardees’ dedication that could not be valued in monetary terms.
He said “The certificates are lifetime achievements and are special. Indeed, their values go beyond the paper that you see, and the recipients should see themselves as privileged persons.”
He encouraged Hospital staff members to uphold dignity in serving the nation and consider that health workers were important contributors in national architecture.
Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, Acting Northern Regional Director of Health, said awarding frontline workers did not end their labour as frontliners as far as COVID-19 was concerned.
He said health workers continued various routine surveillances weekly to identify diseases that have the potential of spreading not exempting COVID-19, despite its diminishing spread.
Dr Abubakari noted that the pandemic, in spite of its detrimental effects, had exposed the weaknesses of the health services in the country and as such created an avenue for government to equip health facilities across the region and the country.
Dr Adam Atiku, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the TTH expressed appreciation to the government for the recognition and said it meant a lot to staff of the hospital to be honoured for their efforts during the pandemic.
He urged the members of the public to trust the TTH for quality and uninterrupted service delivery and sought their cooperation to improve services at the facility.
GNA