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Fire personnel to enjoy NHIS
Tema, Oct. 30, Ghanadot/GNA
-- Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have
been assured of government’s preparedness to hook them to
the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable them
access free medical care.
Mr Felix Ferkah, Chief Fire Officer of the GNFS who
announced this on Thursday said government has indicated its
willingness to register all personnel in the service for the
NHIS.
Currently personnel of the Service pay their own medical
bills whenever they visit the public health facilities for
medical examination after the discharge of their duties
during a fire outbreak.
Mr Ferkah stated however that until government implements
its intentions, personnel should register for the scheme to
avoid spending on accessing quality health care.
He was speaking at a durbar of fire officers at the Tema
Regional Fire Service Headquarters when the Fire Service
Council paid a familiarization visit to the region.
The Chief Fire Officer, who is a member of the Council
further said efforts were being made by the Council to
upgrade the Fire Clinic at the Fire Academy and Training
School (FATS) to a medical centre to be manned by a medical
doctor.
Mr Ferkah urged the personnel to intensify their fire safety
education campaign with the public and institutions in the
region to help minimize the incident of fire outbreaks in
the country.
He also entreated personnel to regularly upgrade themselves
in addition to the training and refresher courses the
service organizes for them to enable them to discharge their
duties professionally.
Mr. Kwabena Taah Korang, Tema Regional Fire Officer in a
welcoming address named the Metro, Ashaiman, Industrial,
Dodowa and Ada Fire stations as the five district station
under the region.
Mr Korang observed that the region which has 342 personnel
responded to 178 fire calls between January and September
this year compared to the 221 calls it responded to during
the same period in 2007.
He attributed the decrease in fire outbreaks in the region
to the numerous community fire safety educations and safety
lectures his outfit organized for corporate institutions.
He added that the intensification of fire safety inspections
and closure of companies without fire certificate in the
region also contributed meaningfully to the reduction.
The regional fire officer noted that in their quest to
project the corporate image of the service, the Tema
Regional Fire Command organized a safety week which was
climaxed with an open day to sensitize the people of
Ashaiman to appreciate the importance of the Service in
order for them to desist from vandalizing their properties.
Mr Korang pleaded with the Council and management of the
GNFS to help the regional service with some of its old
engines, noting that all the engines in the region were
virtually non-functional.
He indicated that the region has five engines out of which
two were functioning; two were being tested after being
repaired and one not functioning.
Nana Frimpong Anokye Ababio, Chairman of the Council said
the Council has formulated a five-year strategic plan for
the service to help streamline its operations.
Nana Ababio also said the newly reconstituted Council which
took office in March last year has also formed the Finance
and Welfare Committee as well as the Legal and Operations
committee to handle the budgeting and monitoring of the
service’s operations respectively.
GNA
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