GHS to establish its own health insurance scheme

Sekondi April 2 GNA - The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is to establish a Health Insurance Scheme for its staff when the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) becomes fully operational.

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director General of GHS, announced this at a staff durbar at Sekondi on Thursday during a five-day working tour of the Western Region.

He said the GHS decided to put in place its own health insurance scheme because its staff was exposed to various risks including diseases and infections in the course of their duties.

Professor Akosa said the scheme was to enable health workers to have easy access to funds in times of sickness and to make it possible for those who fell sick in the course of official duty to obtain treatment at minimal cost.

He said the country's nursing schools would be affiliated to the University of Ghana Medical School to enable nurses to pursue degree programmes.

Professor Akosa said although nursing training colleges had already began diploma courses, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) was yet to approve such programmes.

Professor Akosa said discussions were going on between the GHS, NAB and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to facilitate the accreditation process.

He said he had requested the various regional coordinating councils to construct at least four doctors' and four nurses' bungalows so that more personnel could be posted to their areas.

Professor Akosa said sub-regional hospitals would soon be established adding the Tarkwa Government Hospital would be among the sub-regional hospitals.

He said the GHS would soon start providing consultancy services at regional and sub-regional hospitals and urged doctors to be prepared to offer consultancy services.

Professor Akosa said the GHS had decided to change the uniforms of nurses from green to white and that nurses at the Cape Coast Hospital were presently using white uniforms on a pilot basis.

Workers at the durbar complained about accommodation and transportation problems, and delay in promotion. Later, Professor Akosa inspected facilities at the Essikado Hospital.