West African Health Sector Unions Network hold meeting in Tema

Tema, March 29, GNA - The West African Health Sector Unions Network (WAHSUN) on Friday opened its second plenary session meeting in Tema with a call on member unions to deliberate on the issues of international migration of health care workers.

Mr Abraham Dwumah Odoom, Deputy Minister of Health, who opened the session, said the high rate of brain drain among health workers was affecting the health sectors of the African countries. The meeting which was attended by delegates from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone was observed by representatives from Tanzania and Francophone Health Unions, as well as Public Services International.

Mr Odoom said although migration issues were sometimes limited to remuneration, it was becoming clear that unless there was a systematic approach to deal with the issue from an international perspective, African countries would find it difficult to compete with wealthy nations of the West.

"We need to negotiate a win-win scenario to ensure that we in Africa do not get worse off, I therefore believe that through this network you will be able to open the dialogue with sister unions across the world to address the issue". Mr Odoom urged WAHSUN to forge sub-regional networks that would culminate in a Pan-African Network of all Health Sector unions in defence of the ideals of health workers and the health systems in Africa.

Rev Richard Yeboah, National Chairman of Health Services Workers' Union (HSWU), said his outfit had begun initial discussions with the Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria which later expanded to cover other English West African Health Sector Unions in the Sub-Region. Rev Yeboah said the discussions translated into the holding of bilateral meetings which led to the adoption of WAHSUN at its first plenary session meeting at Abuja, Nigeria, in November 2007. Touching on the objectives of the second meeting, he stated that participants would review the decisions and conclusions of the declaration adopted at its first meeting as well as strategize the way forward to the establishment of a stronger collaboration in the delivery of quality public health in the Sub-Region. Commenting on some of the problems facing the health sector, Rev Yeboah stated that available statistics pointed to the fact that Ghana's national health system was woefully inadequate and in deplorable state.

Rev. Yeboah said health workers in Ghana were exposed to a complex variety of health and safety hazards, adding that new health infrastructural developments under construction still lacked adequate safety, occupational and environmental protection for health providers and users.

Calling on the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to develop a well defined workable policy to deal with the high rate of infant child mortality, he said the union has observed that the difficulty of reducing the rate despite numerous measures put in place was as a result of poor policy and programming.

Rev Yeboah advocated preventive health measures rather than curative health to promote environmental management. Mr Kofi Asamoah, Acting Secretary-General of the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the new Public Sector Pay Reform was undertaking an evaluation of the system to provide the basis for the determination of salaries based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Calling on health workers not to migrate to other countries, Mr Asamoah said health professionals in the country needed to do a lot more to achieve a significant improvement in the health status of the people. He said even though monetary value was placed on the health professionals in Western countries than in Africa, health workers must remember that they have a responsibility of delivering quality health services to their people. "The value of the health services you render directly to the people in your countries is worth more than the money you may earn from elsewhere". Mr Ayuba Wabba, President of the Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria, urged members to effectively address problems facing health workers in their countries in order to have a united front to challenge policies affecting all health workers in the Sub-Region. 29 March 08

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