Doctors in Upper East Defy orders of the GMA

Worried Doctor

Ghana Medical Association            

                  

Doctors at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital yesterday joined their other colleagues in deprived areas of the country to defy the orders of the intended industrial strike action embarked upon by the Ghana Medical Association. A visit to the hospital by Radio Ghana saw doctors going about their normal duties as old and new patients were allowed to access health care services. Some doctors at the time of Radio Ghana’s visit were attending to emergency cases whilst patients were comfortably seated at the OPD hall waiting for their turn to receive medical attention. Though some of the doctors refused to comment on the matter, the fact remained that patients were being attended to. In a telephone interview with Radio Ghana, the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams said unlike the urban areas where one can access health care in private health facilities with ease, the same cannot be said of the Upper East Region and other deprived areas of northern Ghana where facilities are far overstretched with few health professionals offering humanitarian services to the poor and the needy. He said doctors in the region are treating the current situation with a human face and that any strike action will spell disaster for the region. Those on strike, he indicated, are the trainee and diploma 8 and 9 nurses. Dr Awoonor Williams who is far away in Tanzania said doctors in the region will continue to attend to emergency cases whilst they look forward to the Fair Wages Commission to resolve the impasse with haste in order to save human lives. He therefore advised residents of the region to seek healthcare services from the various health facilities till a decision is reached by management on the matter.

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