One thousand seven hundred and nine frontline health and allied workers in the Central Region have been presented with awards for their unwavering commitment to the fight against COVID- 19.
Last Wednesday, 318 of them in zone one were presented with certificates of recognition at a ceremony in Cape Coast.
The wording on the certificates signed by the President Akufo-Addo, read “PRESIDENTIAL HONOUR FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE…in recognition of your leadership, passion, commitment, hard work and sacrifices to save lives and help the nation during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your fervent and remarkable sacrifices will always be remembered.”
Similar ceremonies were held in nine other zones in the region simultaneously.
The recipients, selected from all the 22 metropolitan and municipal and district assemblies in the Central Region, were among some 19,557 selected for the awards across the 16 regions of the country.
The first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Central Region on April 5, 2020.
He was a 57-year-old clergyman who is said to have travelled to the United Kingdom and returned to Ghana on March 17, 2020.
Regional Minister
In a speech delivered on her behalf by the Chief Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, Kingsley Agyei Boahene, the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, noted that the region’s health workers like others across the country and the world had been at the frontline of the battle against the unprecedented global pandemic that had challenged humanity.
She stated that the battle against pandemics were not fought by healthcare professionals alone but with support from their vibrant society.
Mrs Assan added that the awards were not just tokens of appreciation but also represented the profound gratitude and admiration of the President and the government for the incredible work they had done and continued to do to promote healthcare delivery in the region.
“They have exemplified the true essence of heroism, putting their own lives at risk to safeguard the health and well-being of countless individuals around the world,” she stated.
Beacon of hope
Mrs Assan observed that throughout the difficult moment, the frontline healthcare workers had been a beacon of hope, displaying remarkable strength, compassion and selflessness.
She commended the incredible support provided by the essential workers, the janitors, security personnel, administrative staff and countless others who had played a vital role in keeping their healthcare systems running smoothly.
She acknowledged the sacrifices made by these exceptional individuals and applauded their courage in the face of adversity, their determination to save lives and commitment towards the healthcare system in Ghana.
She urged them to maintain that high standard of discipline and humility that had brought the country this far.
Cases
For her part, the Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Akosua Agyeiwah-Sarpong, indicated that in the Central Region, a total of 6,023 confirmed cases were reported as of end of June 2023 and total validated deaths were 66 as of the end of 2022.
Dr Agyeiwah-Sarpong stated that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and affected many countries with varying degrees of morbidities and mortalities, which had social and economic ramifications that impacted the world including Ghana.
She further explained that they had vaccinated 1,201,739 people with first dose, representing 72 per cent of the population, with 939,787 having received the second dose and fully vaccinated and making up 56 per cent of the population as of June 20, 2023.
She added that in spite of the numerous challenges health workers faced, they committed themselves to support communities with the promotion of healthcare services.
She said their hard work and effort as well as surveillance and contact tracing teams, cases management teams, rapid response teams, logistic teams and burial teams were commendable.
Source: Graphiconline
