Awutu-Bawjiase {C/R}, Oct 8, GNA - Environmental Health Workers in the Awutu-Effutu Senya District have appealed to the government to tackle the salary disparity between them and their counterparts in the Ministry of Health, that has persisted for many years.

They said the problem was caused by the Price Waterhouse Salary Review Committee set up by the previous government.

''All efforts to get the issue resolved to enable us obtain the right salary scales to match with our counterparts in the Health Ministry have futile.''

Mr. Mahama Abdulai, the District Chief Environmental Officer and the Deputy Officer Mr Micheal Sackey, made the appeal at the launch of this year's National Sanitation Week at Awutu-Bawjiase. The workers also suggested to districts assemblies to provide incentive packages to motivate environmental health workers to work harder.

Mr Mahama Abdulai commended the Awutu-Effutu Senya District Assembly for providing the environmental health workers in the district with working tools to facilitate their work.

He assured the District Assembly and traditional authorities that the workers would intensify their inspection activities to ensure good sanitary conditions in the area.

Launching the Week, Captain Steve Armah {RTD}, the District Chief Executive, appealed to people to ensure the effective practice of environmental hygiene to prevent the outbreak of diseases and advised them against dumping refuse indiscriminately.

Capt. Armah urged the health workers to enforce laws and regulations to compel the people to observe sound environment and hygienic practices.

He appealed to the chiefs, Unit Committees, Area and Town Councilors to organise regular clean-up exercises. Madam Monica Essinah, a Midwife in-charge of the Bawjiase Community Health Centre, expressed regret that the lack of good hygienic and environmental practices caused high rate of maternal mortality in the Central Region.