The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday awarded Mrs Vivian Opoku-Kyeremeh, a principal midwifery officer, the Most Outstanding Worker-National Level, at the 2nd edition of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Excellence Awards.
She was presented with a brand new VW Virtus saloon car, a 50 inch LED Smart TV, a certificate, a plaque and an all-expense paid trip for two to Dubai.
Mrs Opoku-Kyeremeh, who was also the best outstanding staff, Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) category, and served at the Dumasua CHPS in the Sunyani West District in the Bono Region won the award alongside 76 other health workers, health institutions, traditional leaders, and organisations.
The awards were presented under three categories, namely, the general staff, institutional/leadership, and the GHS Council and Director-General’s special awards categories.
It was on the theme “Sustaining partnership for effective and efficient healthcare delivery.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony as the guest of honour, President Akufo-Addo said he was inspired by the impressive strides made by the GHS in advancing healthcare delivery in the country despite the challenges it faced.
He noted that through partnerships, the government had been able to mobilise critical resources, embrace cutting-edge technologies, and build the capacity of the health workforce as he touched on the theme of the awards ceremony.
President Akufo-Addo also highlighted the investments made by the government in the health sector, which included the recruitment of 202,527 medical personnel, training of the health workforce, and the prioritisation of digital health as a strategy to achieve universal health coverage.
According to him, the investments made by the government alone could not help in achieving universal health coverage and, therefore, urged healthcare professionals to guide against ethical lapses, indifference, and the lack of compassion and uphold the highest standards of professionalism, empathy, and loyalty.
President Akufo-Addo congratulated the award winners and thanked them for their contribution towards an effective and efficient healthcare delivery in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs Adelaide Yaa Agyeiwaa Ntim, who represented the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, said the Ministry of Health supported the awards initiative, which aimed at improving healthcare quality, accessibility, and patient satisfaction.
“As we celebrate excellence tonight, let us renew our collective resolve to build a healthier and a more resilient Ghana,” she added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director-General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the GHS Excellence Awards was established to promote a culture of achievement within the health sector.
Additionally, he noted that the award scheme also aligned with GHS’ broader rebounding initiative to raise awareness of the contribution of health workers to improving health outcomes and the socio-economic development of the country.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye advocated for the institution of a national health workers’ day to provide a platform to formally honour and celebrate dedicated health workers and also highlighted the achievements made by the GHS, including the implementation of digital platforms to enhance service delivery.
The awards ceremony was graced by the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and other representatives from development partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), and other stakeholders in the health sector.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
Source:
ghanaiantimes.com.gh
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