Extend our coronavirus incentives – Nurses, midwives to govt

The Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG) is appealing to the government to extend the incentives enjoyed by health workers who fronted the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

The incentives, involving tax exemptions and 50 percent of basic salaries as allowances, were pledged in March by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as motivation to all frontline health workers.

The package was extended to September.

In expressing gratitude to the government for the incentives, the nurses and midwives say their help will definitely be needed in the coming days.

“Considering that political parties are at the peak of their political rallies, the mass gathering of people and the gross neglect of Covid-19 protocols coupled with the opening of the borders, point to only one direction, the county risks recording overwhelming number of cases in the coming days if care is not taken,” a press release issued UPNMG’s National PRO, John Agbenyeavu, on Wednesday said.

UPNMG members say given the hard work of the health professionals, the incentives should be extended to end-of-year.

“Inasmuch as we acknowledge this effort, we call on government to extend the tax exemption to December 2020 and also consider capturing all nurses and midwives as frontline health workers ok to enjoy the 50% of their basic salary as allowances.”