Akufo-Addo Extends Incentives For Health Workers

President Nana Akufo-Addo has extended the incentive packages for health workers by additional three months.

He says over the next three months – July, August and September – health workers will not pay income taxes. Also, he said front line health workers will receive their 50 percent allowances for the next three months.

According to him, the insurance package for health workers is still in place.

The President announced these during his 13th national address on Sunday, June 28, 2020, where he gave an update on Ghana’s response measures against the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 infections in the country.

“I am happy to announce that I have decided to extend the incentive package for health workers by another three months. This means that all health workers will pay no income taxes for the next three months, i.e. July, August and September. Again, all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, will continue to receive the additional allowance of 50% of their basic salary per month, i.e. for July, August and September.”

However, in a subtle reaction to the death of a woman at the Ridge Hospital which allegedly resulted from ‘wrong prescription’, the President appealed to health workers to remain professional and compassionate.

He says every life that is lost whether due to coronavirus or other illness matters.

Ghana’s COVID-19 cases

Ghana’s COVID-19 case count has risen to 17,351.

“As at Saturday, 27th June 2020, our country has recorded 17,351 confirmed cases, with 12,994 recoveries, representing some 75% of positives. This means that, currently, we have 4,245 active cases, having conducted 294,867 tests, one of the highest on the continent. 30 persons are severely and critically ill, and we have a total of 112 sad deaths, constituting 0.6% of positives, as we maintain one of the lowest death rates in the world”, the president said.

83 percent ICU recoveries

Meanwhile, 44 out of the 53 persons with COVID-19 who were critically ill in Ghana have fully recovered.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo who disclosed this also indicated that the figure represents 83 percent of infected persons at the various Intensive Care Units (ICU) across health facilities in the country to have been discharged.

“Most patients, who are critically ill and need intensive care, do, indeed, survive the virus, if they seek medical help promptly. For example, out of 53 patients admitted into intensive care units (ICU) at the Ga East Municipal Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical Centre, since the pandemic struck, 44, i.e. 83%, have fully recovered, and have been discharged”, he said.