Deputy Minister of Health, Rojo Mettle Nunoo presenting the car keys to the KATH Best Staff for 2011, Dr. Sampson Antwi. Insert: The new Tata Indica car fdor kATHs Best Worker for 2012
DEPUTY MINISTER of Health, Rojo Mettle Nunoo has cautioned health workers in the country against allowing their political affiliation to influence their work especially as the national elections gradually draw near.
He said innocent and precious lives would be lost unnecessarily if health workers decide to let their political affiliation dictate how they do their work.
“As we approach the general elections in December, I wish to stress that though we might have different political doctrines, that should not tear us apart,” he said.
The deputy health minister added that “we must work together as a team and de-couple politics from health service since sickness is no respecter of person, race, colour or political affiliation.”
He made the remarks during the 2011 Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Staff Awards ceremony at the hospital’s premises on Friday. KATH workers and other dignitaries attended the event.
Mr. Nunoo urged health workers to refrain from embarking on strikes to resolve their grievances, stating it was unacceptable for a human life to be lost due to a strike action by health workers.
Urging them to adopt diplomacy to resolve all issues concerning their welfare, he admitted that his ministry’s attention had been drawn to some inconsistencies in the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) of some health workers and assured that the ministry was working to resolve them.
He announced that the ministry was currently at the planning stage of its annual health awards event scheduled for August and praised KATH management for coming up with the awards scheme to motivate staff to work harder.
In all, KATH awarded 17 categories of staff that worked exceptionally well during the past year, in addition to 74 long service awards.
Dr. Sampson Antwi, who was awarded the 2011 Overall Best Staff of KATH, was presented with a brand new Tata Indica vehicle. The other award winners took home mouthwatering prizes including household appliances.
In his speech, Prof. Ohene Adjei, the KATH CEO said the awards scheme was one of the measures being taken by the hospital to help private workers at the medical facility deliver their best.
Prof. Adjei disclosed that management of the hospital in its own right had successfully honored 200 staff members over the past three years for their long service.
He however appealed to the Ministry of Health to speed up plans to construct and expand peripheral health facilities in the region to help reduce the congestion at KATH and improve quality health care in the area.
Companies such as Kama Group Ltd, Palb Pharmaceuticals, Alpha Innovation, Globus Healthcare Services Ltd, Benburto Enterprise, Bridging The Divide Ltd, SAG Systems Ltd, AS Victory Enterprise and Jamfe Ventures supported the event.
 FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
