Kpando (V/R), May 22, GNA - Dr Andrew Arde-Acquah, Volta Regional Director of Health Services on Wednesday challenged health workers especially, nurses to translate their improved conditions of service into quality healthcare delivery. He said improved health sector salaries, and the introduction of the revolving fund under which health sector workers could now own their own means of transport were enough to motivate them towards quality service delivery.

Dr. Arde-Acquah made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of this year's Volta Region Nurses' week celebration at Kpando. The Week is being celebrated on the theme: " Delivering quality, serving communities: Nurses leading primary health care". He said healthcare delivery is a divine call and appealed to health workers to be devoted to duty and demonstrate their respect for human life and dignity.

Mr Joseph Kwaku Nayan, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, commended nurses for their invaluable contributions to nation building, but said much more was needed to be done to improve primary health care delivery in the country.

"We are aware that today in almost every community, we find a nurse on a 24-hour duty call. The nurse has no time to him/herself. No leave, no leisure, no rest but you can do better," he said. Mr Samuel V.K Agbo, Volta Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) called on the Minister of Health to reconstitute the rural incentive in a "well packaged manner". He said though the GRNA appreciated government's efforts to improve condition of service of health workers; there were still issues that needed urgent attention.

He alleged that junior nurses who took care of clients directly suffered unjustly during the recent salary restructure. Mr Agbo called on the Human Resource Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to promote enrolled and community health nurses who had upgraded themselves to the status of Nursing Officers without delay. He said the Directorate should also reduce their promotion period to two years from five years upon successful performance appraisal. Twelve hard working nurses were awarded for their meritorious services with the best regional nurse going to Madam Margaret Abla Tetteh of the Nkwanta District Hospital.