Health News of Tuesday, 18 September 2007

Source: Space FM,Sunyani

Health Staff Urged To Accept Postings To Rural Communities

Space FM,Nkoranza - The Brong- Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has urged public service personnel, particularly health workers not to refuse postings to the rural communities.

He noted that “it is inhuman for public service staff to refuse posting to rural areas” He added that “it is time Ghanaian workers considered the economic situation of the country and sacrificed a bit in providing compassionate services to help improve the country’s economy”.

The regional minister was speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the International Association for Humanitarian Medicine (IAHM) and its partners viz Africa Libera from Italy, Nkoranza Kroyekuo also in Italy and the Association of Medicine Without Walls on one hand, and the Brong- Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council, Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Nkoranza District Assembly on the other hand, at Nkoranza.

Mr. Baffour Awuah said “Ghanaians should take a cue from foreign philanthropists who come to the country to support in the socio-economic development willingly, by sympathizing with the situation and be patriotic to the nation in the hope for better conditions”.

He said it is not the best for Ghanaian workers to compare the country’s salary structure with that of European countries, because their economic situation is different from that of Ghana’s, and it is through dedication, faithfulness, patriotism and punctuality of European workers that resulted in better salaries in their countries.

The leader of the delegation of the IAHM, Professor Giuseppe Masellis assured that the Association, with its partners, would aim at providing support to the Nkoranza Health Centre and would establish its Head office at Nkoranza, the first of its kind in Africa, South of the Sahara .

In the MOU, it was agreed that IAHM, apart from establishing its head quarters at Nkoranza, would provide logistic and infrastructural support to the Nkoranza Health Centre to enhance its service delivery.

The Regional Coordinating Council, the Regional Health Directorate, the Nkoranza District Assembly and the District Health Directorate would have oversight responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the project, while the Nkoranza District Health Director, would be the country Coordinator, to direct the activities of the Nkoranza Health Centre and other Health institutions in Ghana .