Executives of the LGSWU
THE NATIONAL Leadership of the Local Government Service Workers Union, LGSWU of TUC-Ghana, has commended Government for its “proactive response” to the Union’s appeal for the inclusion of Environmental Health Officers at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the special COVID-19 package being enjoyed by other health workers.
About three months ago, the leadership of the Union made a petition to the Head of Local Government Service as well as the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in which they established that Environmental Health Officers at the MMDAs, also being critical frontline workers discharging their duties under strenuous conditions in the burial of COVID-19 corpses, were not enjoying the special COVID-19package that government announced for health workers.
“It is therefore heartening that the Head of the Service and the sector Minster had appreciated the position of the LGSWU and given the assurance to work with the relevant authorities so that the Environmental Health Officers can also benefit from the package.
“The positive and prompt response from the government in ensuring the inclusion of the Environmental Health Officers in the special COVID-19 package, indicates an acknowledgement of the critical role the Environmental Health officers are playing in the national fight to curtail the COVID-19 spread. The union believes the gesture is a great motivation for the beneficiaries to give of their best in discharging their duties”, said Godfred Nyarko Okyere, General Secretary of the Union in a statement.
“The leadership therefore takes this opportunity to extend its warmest gratitude to the Head of Local Government Service, Dr. Nana Ato Authur, as well as the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, and the relevant government agencies that facilitated the processes in getting the Environmental Health officers to receive the COVID-19 package”, he added.
The Union, however, stated that despite the success made by the country in the fight against COVID-19, there were still some worrying developments, especially, how some citizensblatantly disregard the COVID-19 safety protocols.
Such unguarded behaviours, they explained, can undermine the national campaign against COVID-19 and urged Ghanaians not to lose guard and indulge in large gathering activities which can result in a spike in COVID-19 infections, and bring pressure on the health sector professionalsand also the country loosing precious human resources to the disease.
“Let us all endeavor to work in a manner that will enable the country to achieve zero COVID-19 deaths and also reduce the stress on the health care system which is already over-burdened with fellow citizens suffering from other health conditions”, the Union admonished.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio