Agona Swedru, May 14, GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has instituted a housing scheme for health workers to motivate them and help stem the brain drain in the sector Professor Agyeman Badu Akosah, Director General of GHS has announced. He said a committee set up by the GHS to meet officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to work out modalities for the scheme had completed its work for the project to take off this year. Professor Akosah announced this at Agona Swedru, when he interacted with health workers as part of his six-day tour of the Central Region to acquaint himself with problems confronting them and to help find solutions to them.

Prof Akosah stated that every worker would benefit from the scheme, adding that, beneficiaries would be bonded for 10 years to enable them to complete paying for them, adding that the government was determined to assist the health professionals to improve their standard of living. The Director- General noted that the GHS had instituted a Provident Fund to supplement the pension scheme of the workers to enable them to enjoy better lives in retirement.

Prof Akosah announced that the GHS had also proposed sabbatical leave to enable health workers to study either abroad or in Ghana, adding that, all these things were being done to retain them in the country. He cautioned workers of the service to render dedicated services to patients, saying they should control their temper when dealing with the sick.

Dr D. G. Demanya, Medical Superintendent of the Swedru Government Hospital said the new management had procured 50 beds and mattress for the hospital. He said since the hospital was upgraded 17 years ago, male and female patients were sleeping together but with the completion of a new block for females they had females had been separated from the males.

Dr Demanya said the main ward was undergoing a major rehabilitation to give it a facelift, adding that since June last year the hospital had opened a catering department to enable patients to cook there. He appealed to the GHS to help repair the stand-by generator, which was in bad condition, adding that the generator could not be used since it was installed about four years ago.