New Crystal Health Services (NCHS) is supporting the fight against COVID-19 by helping corporate organisations roll out plans to better manage their employees amid the pandemic. It seeks to provide services ranging from workplace safety protocols to screening and testing employees. The move is to enable organisations resume full operations despite the presence of the virus.
Group Occupational Health & Safety Expert at NCHS, Dr. Allotey Addo, disclosed this when the company – in partnership with PharmAccess and the Multimedia Group – held a webinar on COVID-19 and workplace health and safety. The virtual forum brought together experts with varied experience in disease control and healthcare, as well as occupational safety, to educate organisations on what to do to keep their workers safe and productive despite the pandemic.
Many businesses have been compelled to operate at half capacity or run shifts as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19 within their organisations. However, these measures have adversely impacted their revenues, and in some cases forced them to pay their workers less than they are supposed to earn. The situation has been a major source of concern for many business owners.
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Addo emphasised the need for businesses to get back to full operation while living with the disease. He said organisations must have a clear strategy and tailored safety protocols that will get them back to business. He said NCHS has developed solutions which can be tailored to suit various organisations and enable them to work in a safe and convenient environment.
“We are talking about the new normal, but what is that new normal? We at New Crystal Health Services are ready and able to help organisations live this new normal, because our companies which we have toiled to build should not collapse because of COVID-19.” He further stated: “There is COVID-19, but organisations can still operate profitably without compromising the safety of their workers and customers – and we can help them achieve this new normal.”
Dr. Ernest Asiedu, an Epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health, advised organisations to lead the fight against stigmatisation by celebrating those who recover, while empathising with those who test positive. He said since science is relying on people who test positive to find an antidote to treat others, they should rather be celebrated as heroes. Dr. Asiedu, who has recovered from COVID-19, is leading a campaign against stigmatisation.
Both Dr. Philip Anderson of Roche Ghana and Madam Bonifacia Agyei of PharmAccess stressed the need for organisations to have safety protocols and appoint coordinators with a proper report structure to enforce them. They also advised that services of psychologists should be sought to counsel employees so as to ensure their morale remains high even if some of their colleagues have tested for COVID-19.
