Govt approves insurance package for Ebola managers

The Government has approved an insurance package for health workers who would be directly involved in managing Ebola cases in the event of an outbreak, Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini, Deputy Northern Regional Minister, has said.

He said the Ministry of Health had also put in place capacity building activities of front-line health workers in readiness to combat any outbreak of the Ebola virus disease.  

Alhaji Fuseini was speaking, on behalf of the Minister of Health, at the 38th Annual Conference of the Association of Health Service Administrators of Ghana (AHSAG) in Tamale.

The three-day event was to deliberate and propose solutions to challenges that were hindering the effective delivery of healthcare. 

The event was on the theme: “Sustaining Health Care Financing in an Unstable Economic Environment; the challenges and opportunities.”

Alhaji Fuseini said an inter-Ministerial Committee had been constituted to coordinate national efforts and international assistance to ensure that the country was adequately prepared to manage potential cases of Ebola.

He said the Government had also put in place surveillance and screening at all entry points of the country to ensure that people with the Ebola disease would not enter the country.

He said it was part of the government’s policy to make sure that the Health sector had sufficient and sustainable sources of funding to provide quality health services to the people.

The Deputy Minister also urged Ghanaians to fully participate in the monthly cleanup exercises to rid the villages, towns and cities of filth saying, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, Northern Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, urged Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to support the government in complementing its efforts in the provision of health care delivery.

Naa Ambassador Yakubu  Abdulai, Paramount Chief of the Sagnerigu Traditional Area, who chaired the function, advised workers to be mindful of the demands on the government because of the economic challenges in the country. .

He said Ghanaians should exhibit exemplary patriotism and refrain from making demands that could cripple the national economy.

He also called on administrators from the health sector to adhere to the code of conduct of their profession to ensure and promote quality work.

The AHSAG is a group of Health Managers from the public, private, mission and quasi-government health institutions in the country.

More than 350 participants across the country, and other dignitaries are attending the conference.