Covid-19: Qualification of frontline workers will be defined soon

President Nana Akufo-Addo says the government will in the coming days give a clear definition of who qualifies as frontline staff in the fight against the coronavirus.

Controversy has been brewing over who qualifies as a frontline staff after President Akufo-Addo announced some incentives for that group of health workers in his last national address on COVID 19 updates.

Speaking at a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Medical Association, President Akufo-Addo said finality will be brought to the matter to prevent any doubts.

“Effort is being made on the part of the government, to arrive at an acceptable definition, and I think your input will be very necessary and required, so that we get a definition that makes sense for everybody and which addresses the issue of people who are also in the frontline, as it were, of dealing with this disease,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The President said the government is committed to ensuring that health workers are supported as they deliver essential services to the populace especially amidst the outbreak of Coronavirus. “On my part and on the part of government, we will continue to see what we can do to meet you halfway, ease the issues that you have.

I think you heard my broadcast the other day, I indicated the measures that we want to put in place to support you in the work that you are doing,” Akufo-Addo noted. The President added that several interventions have already been rolled out to ease the burden on health workers.

“Buses for nurses and health workers have started plying the streets of Accra, the allowances that are going to be paid to health workers are being worked out by the Finance Minister, and, very soon, in the course of this month the first payments are going to be made,” he said.