He said as accounting personnel, they should hold themselves in readiness for digitisation of the health system to help promote the provision of greater access to health service for the people.

"Digitisation will help make health systems responsive and sustainable. Not only that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), digital systems call for modified roles of healthcare professional and you are not an exception", he said.

Dr Aboagye made the appeal in a speech read on his behalf by Madam Ramatu Ude Umaata, Director of Finance at the 12th Annual General Congress of the Accounting Staff Association of Ghana held in Wa.

The Congress was on the theme: "The Health Accounting Staff in the era of digitisation towards universal healthcare delivery" and it served as a forum to discuss relevant issues affecting the interest and welfare of the Finance and Internal Audit fraternity in the health sector.

He said through the Finance Division, significant efforts were made, and resulted in major improvements of work at all levels in the service, especially the automation of financial processes of the Regional Health Administrations, Hospitals and District Health Administrations.

He said that also helped to reduce human errors, capture data comprehensively and improve on reporting timelines.

Dr Aboagye, said inspite of that, there were instances of misconduct by some personnel, which affected the image of the Ghana Health Service and the division, and the accounting profession negatively.

He said the Service would not tolerate or make any effort to come to the aid of anybody who misconducted himself or herself, but on the other hand, would make sure that it defended any finance staff who was treated unfairly.

He said the Service would continue to make and implement policies that would provide the enabling environment for all staff to give out their best, and the finance division would be a major beneficiary of such policies.

Dr Aboagye announced that the Service had successfully established a Deputy Director of Finance position at the regional level and regional accountants would become Deputy Directors of Finance.

He said the required processes were ongoing to ensure that the 16 vacant positions currently available were filled, pointing out that the development should create a "career hope" for all the finance staff in the service.

He gave the assurance that the Service would work with leadership to address disparities in salary levels, promotion and upgrading of personnel in the finance division of the service.

Mr Sidik Mohammed Nuri Laskaya, National President of the Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana said there was a wide gap between the remuneration of members under the single spine salary structure and their counterparts in other public sector organisations such as the Controller and Accountant General Department, Ghana Revenue Authority and Audit Service among others.

He appealed to the relevant authorities to take a look at the problem and address it while steps were taken to promote members who acquired additional qualifications.

"There are a group of members, who were classified as casual workers some of whom had worked for 15 years and when it comes to recruitment of personnel they are left out.

"This phenomenon is very bad and they are still hoping and hoping against hope that one day the authorities will at least give them the opportunity for permanent employment" he said.

He said the Bank of Africa and National Investment Bank had been identified and discussions were ongoing to secure loan facilities for members at a moderate interest rate.

The Association was also in the process of acquiring 16 plots of land for the construction of a hostel to help generate additional income.