Nalerigu-Ghana, July 16, GNA – The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the North East Region has awarded 106 frontline and allied health professionals who contributed to containing the spread and effects of COVID-19 in the Region.
The Service zoned the Region into two and awarded 45 health professionals drawn from health facilities in the West Mamprusi zone, comprising Walewale, Janga, Kpasenkpe and Mamprugu-Moagduri.
For the East Mamprusi zone, which comprised Nalerigu, Gambaga, Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri, Chereponi and Yunyoo-Nasuan, 61 health professionals were awarded.
All 106 awardees received citations and certificates of honour.
At brief separate ceremonies to award the professionals, Dr Abdulai Abukari, the Regional Director of the GHS, said the awards were a continuation of an award ceremony hosted by President Akufo-Addo on March 14, 2023, in Accra to honour some selected frontline health workers across the country in the fight against the virus.
He explained that “Due to the huge numbers of the COVID-19 frontline workers who were involved across all the 16 regions, only a few were invited to Accra for the ceremony.”
He said the President, therefore, tasked all Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to collaborate with their Directors of Health Services to present the awards and certificates to the nominees in their respective Regions.
Dr Abukari said the Region recorded and lost its first COVID-19 victim in April 2020 in Walewale, “Subsequently, the disease spread to all the Districts in the Region and as at now that the pandemic has been declared over, we have recorded a total of 420 cases in which we lost 11.”
He noted that with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines and the support of stakeholders, the Region took the vaccination very seriously, “As of today, the coverage of our eligible population stands at 91.3 per cent, the highest among all the 16 Regions.”
The Regional Director attributed the success of the Region in the fight against the virus to the commitment, hard work and dedication of their frontline health professionals.
“I, therefore, want to take this opportunity to urge all health workers to continue putting up your best for the benefit of the vulnerable members of our society.
“These awards are an indication and a testimony to the fact that the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, the risks you took and all what you did for Mother Ghana and for humanity did not go unnoticed.
“The President of the Republic has recognized your efforts and Ghanaians are proud of you all, and you are our heroes,” Dr Abukari told the awardees.
Some of the awardees, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency after the ceremony, expressed gratitude to the President and government for the recognition of their contributions in the fight against the virus and said they were motivated by the award to continue to contribute to quality healthcare delivery in the Region.
Mr Abdul-Rashid Hussein, the West Mamprusi Municipal Director of the GHS, who received an award for his contribution to the Region’s success in the fight against the virus, told the GNA that “This award means they have recognised our support, commitment and fight against the pandemic.”
He said even though some awardees expected the awards to be in monetary form, the certificates were more valuable and could serve as evidence of their massive contribution in healthcare delivery during the pandemic.
Mr Hussein noted that every health professional in the Region contributed to the fight against the pandemic and urged those, who were not awarded, not to despair but continue to work diligently to uplift the image of the GHS in the Region.
