Stephen Aeke Akurugo, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Kassena-Nankana West District, has pledged to establish motivational packages for nurses and midwives in the area.

He said the District Assembly would collaborate with the Member of Parliament for the area and leadership of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to establish the packages.

The DCE, who is a nurse by profession, said the initiative would motivate and encourage nurses and midwives to stay and work to improve healthcare delivery in the district.

Akurugo made the pledge when the leadership of the GRNMA in the District called on him to formally congratulate him on his appointment.

The DCE further disclosed plans by the Assembly to offer scholarships to nurses and midwives to pursue specialist courses in critical fields of the nursing and midwifery professions to boost service delivery.

Apart from encouraging nurses and midwives to stay, the DCE said the initiatives would further attract professionals to the area to address the human resource gap, especially at the District Hospital.

He stressed the significance of primary healthcare delivery and assured leadership of the GRNMA of the Assembly’s collaboration with health stakeholders to complement the Ghana Health Service quest to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Akurugo told the leadership of the GRNMA that his office was open to meaningful dialogue and collaboration to achieve the reset agenda of the Mahama-led government to propel development in the district.

He noted that his appointment as DCE should encourage healthcare professionals, especially nurses and midwives, to venture into politics and continue to strictly adhere to their professional ethical standards.

He urged them to remain dedicated and pursue their dreams and aspirations despite the challenges they faced saying, “Set your eyes on your dreams and commit to working hard to achieve them”.

Commenting on the recent industrial action declared by the GRNMA to compel their employer to implement their conditions of service agreement, the DCE acknowledged the impact of the action on healthcare delivery.

He noted that the Association’s demands were legitimate and expressed the hope that the employer would address their concerns while they continued to offer healthcare services.

Akurugo reiterated his gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for his appointment as Chief Executive for the area, and thanked leadership of the GRNMA for the visit.

Francis Anaba, the GRNMA District Chairman, who led the team, thanked the DCE for the planned initiatives to motivate and encourage nurses and midwives in the district, and assured him of the Association’s support to improve healthcare delivery in the area.

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