COVID-19: Incentives for health workers extended to end of year

Government has extended the incentive packages for health workers which was introduced in April in the wake of the Coronavirus disease.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 19th address to the nation on measures taken to combat the disease said the incentive package had been extended to the end of 2020.

“This means that health workers will pay no income tax for the month of October, November and December,” the President said.

He added that all frontline health workers as defined by the Ministry of Health would continue to receive additional allowance of 50 per cent of basic salary per month for the months of October, November and December.

Infectious disease centre

The President also indicated that the 100-bed Ghana Infectious Disease Centre at the Ga-East Hospital would be opened in the coming days.

He said the centre would be under the management of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

President Akufo-Addo said although the hospitalisation rates of the Coronavirus disease was low, it had become necessary to operate the facility as “care for the sick and provision of treatment remains an important aspect of our strategy”.

He added that there would be adequate provision of equipment, medicine and PPE for health workers to attend to home-based patients.