Sunyani, July 22, GNA - Workers have been urged to apply grievance resolution mechanism in arriving at their collective bargaining agreements to avoid industrial conflicts to ensure increased productivity.

They were also advised to refrain from rumour mongering, unsubstantiated allegations against management and the withdrawal of services, which brought suffering to the people.

The call was contained in a speech read for Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, at the opening of a five-day Second National Senior Managers' meeting of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Sunyani on Wednesday.

The meeting, organised under the theme, "Meeting the Challenge, Strategically Planning for 2005", and being attended by Regional Directors of Health Service and Senior Managers from the GHS headquarters, will review activities from January to June and plan for July to December.

Nana Seinti requested employers to organize regular staff meetings and durbars to explain management decisions to workers to create conducive atmosphere for productivity.

He said the meeting was being organised at a time when the country's health system was confronted with problems and challenges. Nana Seinti mentioned the threat posed by diseases like HIV/AIDS and buruli ulcer, infiltration of sub-standard drugs on the market and exodus of doctors and nurses from the country abroad for greener pastures.

"All these coupled with increased agitation by health and other public sector workers for improved conditions of services are militating against the attainment of the millennium goals for health in the country", the Regional Minister said.

Nana Seinti said efforts were being made to improve the health sector, adding that the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme was in fulfilment of the Government's promise to make healthcare delivery accessible to the people.

In speech read for Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director General of Ghana Health Service, he called for the improvement in resource allocation to enable the Senior Managers to deal with problems in the health sector.

"Our collaboration with the district assemblies and other relevant bodies need to be strengthened to improve planning and implementation of interventions that require cross sector solutions".

Prof Akosa said the meeting would discuss strategies aimed at improving clinical services and accelerate public health interventions, especially malaria control.

" We will discuss strategies that will help us to pursue inter sectoral collaboration in order to deal with broader determinants of health and increase overall financial resources to the sector and ensure pro-poor and equitable allocation".

Dr Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Health Service, said the Senior Managers' meeting would enable them to acquire more knowledge to facilitate their work.

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri, Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, called on all stakeholders in the health sector to support the GHS to provide effective services.