Accra, July 7, GNA - The Ministry of Health on Wednesday inaugurated two committees to motivate and regulate health professionals and bring sanity into the health sector. They are National Health Awards Planning Committee and Allied Health Committee.

The 13-Member National Health Awards Planning Committee chaired by Mr Sylvester Anemana, Chief Director, Ministry of Health, has been tasked to plan for the event and ensure that the selection is fair and transparent to make the awards attractive to entice health professional to put in their very best.

The Nine-Member Allied Health Committee is expected to play the regulatory role until the passage of the Allied Health bill. It is chaired by Dr Angela Ofeiba Amedo, Head of Department of

Optometry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which is to be responsible for ensuring higher standards, monitor, inspect and conduct licensing examination.

Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister of Health, inaugurating the committees said recent comments on the performance of health professionals without any commensurate opportunity of commendation by the Ministry had the potential of undermining the confidence of workers in the sector.

He said a survey conducted on what motivated people to perform better revealed that leadership appreciation and guidance, fairness and transparency, appropriate adequate equipment and logistics were the challenges facing the workers.

The Sector Minister said in Ghana national awards schemes had been established to reward teachers and farmers with expensive prizes whiles workers in the health sector, individual awards were given at the institutional level and rarely at the national level.

"It is unfortunate that even though majority of health workers discharge their duties under the most trying conditions not much appreciation is shown by way of recognition of efforts through awards.

"The time has therefore come to change the trend and show practical appreciation to the efforts of health workers as their contributions to improve the health status of the people living in Ghana", he added.

Mr Yieleh Chireh said besides doctors and nurses, there were about 12 groups of health professionals including radiographers, paramedics, dieticians and physiotherapists that had regulatory bodies and noted that this made it difficult to deal with charlatans in the system.