Kumasi, March 3, GNA - Government has been urged to reconsider a decision to lay off health extension workers employed by the previous government, under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

Mr Opoku Agyeman Prempeh, a businessman in Kumasi, said such workers should rather be supported to enroll in nursing and community health training institutions in order to be fully integrated into the health sector. He said they had already obtained considerable work experience and should be given additional training to sharpen their skills and competences. He added that they could play significant role in rural communities that were unattractive to many of the country's health professionals. Mr Prempeh who is the Managing Director of Lakayana Company in Kumasi told the Ghana News Agency that the government had already spent a lot of money on the health extension workers and this should not be allowed to go to waste.

He said the health extension workers have enjoyed confidence and trust from rural folks, which explained why they should be provided with proper training.

Mr Prempeh said given the reluctance of professional health workers to accept postings to rural areas, the importance of their services could not be discounted.

"The current situation where they are just hanging on at health facilities without doing anything just because they are going to be dismissed, is affecting health care delivery in rural communities", he added. Mr Prempeh appealed to the Ministry of Health and NYEP to come out with a definite stand on the matter to ease the mental agony which they were going through. 3 March 10