Some panellists at the event
NEW CRYSTAL Health Services (NCHS) has announced it is supporting the fight against Covid-19 by helping corporate organizations to rollout plans to better manage their employees in the midst of the pandemic.
The company, which mentioned some of such services as workplace safety protocols, screening and testing of employees, said the move was to enable organizations to resume full operations, despite the presence of the virus.
Group Occupational Health & Safety Expert at NCHS, Dr. Allotey Addo, disclosed this when the company in partnership with PharmAccess and the Multimedia Group held a webinar on Covid-19 and workplace health and safety.
The virtual forum brought together experts with varied experience in disease control, healthcare as well as occupational safety, to educate organizations on what to do to keep their workers safe and productive despite the pandemic.
Many businesses have been compelled to operate at half capacity or run shifts as a way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within their organizations. However, these measures have adversely impacted on their revenues and in some cases forced them to pay their workers less. The situation has been a major source of concern for many business owners.
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Addo emphasised the need for businesses to get back to full operation while living with the disease. He said organizations must have a clear strategy and tailored safety protocols that would get them back to business.
He said NCHS had developed solutions, which could be tailored to suit various organizations to enable them work in a safe and convenient environment.
“We are talking about the new normal but what is that new normal? We at NCHS are ready and able to help organisations live this new normal, because our companies, which we have toiled to build, should not collapse because of Covid-19.” He said “there is Covid-19, but organizations can still operate profitably without compromising the safety of their workers and customers, and we can help them achieve this new normal.”
Dr Ernest Asiedu, an epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health, advised organizations to lead the fight against stigmatization, by celebrating those who recover, while empathizing with those who test positive.
He said since science was relying on people, who tested positive, to find an antidote to treat others, they should rather be celebrated as heroes. Dr. Asiedu, who has recovered from Covid-19, is leading a campaign against stigmatization.
Both Dr. Philip Anderson of Roche Ghana and Ms Bonifacia Agyei of PharmAccess stressed the need for organizations to have safety protocols and appoint coordinators with a proper report structure to enforce them. They also advised that services of psychologists should be sought, to counsel employees to ensure that their morale remained high even if some of their colleagues had tested for Covid-19.
Some panellists at the event