Members of the Environmental Health Officers Alliance-Ghana (EHOA-GH) have suspended the burial of Covid-19 infected corpses across the country with immediate effect.

According to the group, the Environmental Health Practitioners burying the bodies lack the needed resources to carry on with their job. 

Thus, until the key actors in the health sector, namely the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, supply them with the needed PPEs, the association will continue with the strike.

“This has become necessary since over one(1) year now all Covid-19 dead bodies buried in this country by Environmental Health Practitioners in some MMDAs lack the needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), and other incentives which have already been given to our counterparts in the Ghana Health Service (GHS),” part of a statement signed by the National President, Yaw Akwaa Lartey read.

The Association also bemoaned the lack of training and workshop for its members on Covid-19 despite similar trainings being organised for other health workers across the 16 regions.

In the statement sighted by JoyNews, Mr. Lartey stressed that the outlined issues and many more influenced the decision to withdraw services as enshrined in the Section 50 clause (c) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (ACT 851).

“It saddens our hearts that at this critical moment the Government of Ghana specifically H. E. the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will neglect the only Public Health Law Enforcement Agents who are mandated by Section 14 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (ACT 936) with Amendment (ACT 940)  and E. I. 4 of 1976 in the discharge of our mandated duties or job descriptions.”

The Association stated that members will not tolerate being victimised during the strike action.

Read full statement

SUSPENSION OF ALL COVID-19 DEAD BODIES BURIAL BY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN GHANA

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Good morning from Environmental Health Officers Alliance-Ghana ( EHOA-GH) Executives to all Environmental Health Practitioners in the entire 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the media both local and international.

With much grieve and sorrow, we, EHOA-GH from this Wednesday of August 18, 2021 have laid down our tools on the burial of all COVID-19 dead bodies in this country until all needed resources are given by the key actors in this COVID-19 Pandemic era; that's the Ministry of Health (MoH) for that matter the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

This has become necessary since over one(1) year now all COVID19 dead bodies buried in this country by Environmental Health Practitioners all over the country in some MMDAs lack the needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), Hearse, and other incentives which have already given to our counterparts in the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Right from the day Ghana recorded it's first COVID-19 case, the Environmental Health Practitioners who are 100% Health Workers working under the Local Government Service (LGS) that's Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) were exempted from all trainings and workshops which were organized by the Ministry of Health (Ghana Health Service) in all the sixteen (16) regions.

It saddens our hearts at this critical moment why the Government of Ghana specifically H. E. the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will neglect the only Public Health Law Enforcement Agents who are mandated by Section 14 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (ACT 936) with Amendment (ACT 940)  and E. I. 4 of 1976 in discharge of our mandated duties or job descriptions.

We, EHOA-GH, want to state on record without any fear or favour reference to Article 191 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and some Sections of the Labour Act, 2003 (ACT 651) that we have withdrawn our Services as enshrined in the Section 50 clause (c) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (ACT 851) with immediate effect.

EHOA-GH want to caution all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and any other person in the MMDAs who will try to victimize any of our members on all COVID-19 burials contrary to Article 191 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, that they will have the full force of the Association descending on them without any fear or favour.

EHOA-GH Executives entreat all Environmental Health Practitioners in all the 260 MMDAs to stay calm as Executives engage Government on the needed modus operandi in the discharge of our duties on this highly infectious virus in our country, Ghana.

We thank each and everyone who have supported EHOA-GH since 2012 to date to continue to support till Ghana becomes clean from Reasonable Preventable Conditions (RPCs) engulfing us as a country.

Long Live Ghana

Long Live EHOA-GH

Long Live Schools of Hygiene

I thank you for your needed attention.

[SIGNED]
YAW AKWAA LARTEY
(Ag. District Env. Health Officer)
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
          EHOA-GH

(0241 527129 / 0543 627320)