Coronavirus: 600 contact tracers drop out over unpaid allowances – Bright Simons

Honorary vice president of policy think tank, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Bright Simons has revealed that 600 out of 900 trained contact tracers for the fight against Coronavirus in the country have abandoned their work due to ‘grievances’, adding that the government has been defaulting in paying their daily allowance of GHc150.00.

According to Mr Simons, the government of Ghana had planned to train 1,000 contact tracers but ended up training 900, out of which 600 have resigned leaving some 300 to do the arduous task of contact tracing.

In the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, contact tracers are basically in charge of identifying persons who may have been infected by persons confirmed to have the virus. Their work is critical to containing the virus.

But in social media posts, Mr Simons noted that their daily allowances are being paid irregularly.

“Ghana budgeted $1.2m for 1000 contact tracers. It ended up training 900. 600 dropped out due to grievances. Their $25/day allowance is becoming erratic,” he tweeted.

Ghana budgeted $1.2m for 1000 contact tracers. It ended up training 900. 600 dropped out due to grievances. Their $25/day allowance is becoming erratic. $530k was budgeted for Ministers & parliamentarians for "oversight". $0 was budgeted for the science folks doing the testing!

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) May 13, 2020

As part of the measures to contain the virus, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced some mouthwatering packages for health workers involved directly in the fight against COVID-19, including 150 daily allowance for contact tracers.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Coronavirus cases have now reached 5,735 with 29 deaths and 1,754 recoveries.