Government to reward deprived nurses with differential payments – Health minister reveals

The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Oko Boye, has announced that the government of Ghana is committed to revitalizing the country's health sector to ensure efficient and effective healthcare delivery nationwide.

During a recent working tour of the Western Region, Dr. Oko Boye outlined the government's plan to address three challenges in the health sector, including accommodation for health workers, the posting of doctors and nurses to deprived areas, and transportation issues faced by health personnel.

Dr. Oko Boye emphasized that these challenges would be tackled to improve the working conditions of healthcare professionals, particularly those stationed in deprived areas.

A significant part of this effort, he revealed, is the introduction of differential payments for health workers.

According to him, under this new initiative, nurses and doctors who accept postings to deprived areas will receive higher incomes compared to their counterparts in urban centers like Accra and Kumasi.

The Minister noted that this measure is aimed at incentivizing health workers to serve in underserved regions, thereby ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible across the country.

“We have visited three facilities: Nsuaem, Elubo, and the Municipal Hospital. It is important for us to understand that the best way to assess our healthcare system is to experience what happens in our hospitals. The best way to ensure that the right things happen is by staying in contact with those who work in our hospitals. That is why we are here today,” Dr. Oko Boye stated during the tour.

He further highlighted that two of the three facilities visited were initiated and completed under the current administration, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. This, he said, underscores the government's commitment to investing in the health sector across all regions of the country.

“The government is going to put in place differential payments. When it comes to rewarding health workers, those who sacrifice and accept postings outside Accra should not be paid the same way as those who sit in the cities and have the opportunity to do extra work in private hospitals. So, we are going to have differential payments, where those who work at a place like Tarkwa will get higher incomes than those who are in the cities,” he said.

In addition to differential payments, the government is also exploring partnerships with the private sector to address the accommodation needs of health workers.

“Once we create the right environment, there is a greater chance that patients will get the best care. We are not only focusing on the equipment and the environment but also on the people who work in our hospitals.

“We are going to collaborate with the private sector to build accommodation for staff. Every hospital should have accommodation within the facility or nearby so that the issue of robbery will be a thing of the past,” he added.

The Minister disclosed that efforts are underway to build housing within or near hospital facilities to enhance the safety and convenience of healthcare workers, particularly in regions prone to crime.

Dr. Oko Boye's tour included a visit to the ongoing redevelopment project at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi, which is being transformed into a teaching hospital.

The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, who accompanied the Health Minister, urged the people of the Western Region to support the government’s efforts by voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming 2024 elections to ensure the completion of the hospital project.

Darko-Mensah reminded the public of President Akufo-Addo's commitment to the region, recalling the president's pledge in 2016 to renovate the Effia Nkwanta Hospital.

He assured that the government is determined to see the project through, emphasizing that a vote for the NPP would secure the completion of the teaching hospital, which will significantly enhance healthcare delivery in the Western Region and beyond.

"In 2016, the president came here and said that he wanted to renovate this place. We applauded him, but later, the president had a different thought. He said he wanted to build the hospital once and for all and turn it into a teaching hospital.

“I believe that once the government has started, they will surely finish it. As the government started the project, they should continue to complete it.

“So, as we are going to get this hospital, if we want the potential, I believe we have to vote for the NPP for them to be able to complete the hospital. So, I believe that in this election, we should vote for Effia-Nkwanta Teaching Hospital,” he said.



AM/KA

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