No One Needs To Die Over Unpaid Arrears or Condition
of Service
“3
die at Korle-bu Teaching Hospital", as reported by myjoyonline.com, others
may die in various hospitals in other parts of the country; very unfortunate
for mother Ghana”
Undeniably, strikes are incontestable
rights of workers and employers; a situation which has been recurring since
independence and undesirably within the health sector as well. However,
"it is the farm that suffers most when two elephants combat"; a clear scenario in our hospitals at this time.
"it is the farm that suffers most when two elephants combat"; a clear scenario in our hospitals at this time.
Most strike actions in the health sector since
antiquity are mainly on economic grounds; actions of withdrawal of labour in
support of bargaining demands, including pay increase with the current
situation grounding on condition of service of the GMA and unpaid salary
arrears of Nurses of the Accra psychiatric Hospital.
There is an issue of poor condition of
service for health workers and it is very frustrating to work all out without
payment of salaries. There are no suitably structured system to take care of
risk, research, accommodation, fuel and other allowances and even salaries due
our fellow nurses are still in arrears.
Without any iota of doubt, health workers
need continual training and research to ensure that they render the best of
service to the patient. This brings to bare the need to set forth a
well-structured condition and terms of employment for health workers in the
public health sector as a nation. This shall not only ensure job safety but
also shall provide clear career path, among others.
NAHSAG cannot also fail to appreciate the
fact that there are numerous economic barriers, threats and constraint
vis-à-vis the proposal put forward by the GMA.
We share in the fear of the government on
the possible consequences which may arise when the proposal is accepted; with
Nurses, Biomedical Scientists, Pharmacists, and other Allied Health
Professionals subsequently making equal demands. But the fact remains that, not
only doctors, but also all Health Professionals require an astute condition of
service and prompt system to ensure that salaries are duly paid on time.
It is on this note we beseech government
and all stakeholders not to see this as defy to tear the nation apart but as an
opportunity to establish stout systems to ensure that the health sector is duly
protected. We humbly add our voices as prospective health professionals to
plead with the GMA and the Nurses of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to call off
or suspend the ongoing strike actions to prevent further deaths in the
hospitals.
We know that mistrust is a major contributory
factor to the ongoing strike actions usually as a result of government saying
one thing and doing the other. Let us see this as an opportunity to rebuild
trust in the system. The degree and level of commitment of Government to
promises made should not be taken for granted.
We encourage that, this is demonstrated in
the form of proactive consultation, open and honest communication, and
honouring of promises.
We finally beseech both government and
political party communicators to be very circumspect as to how this issue is
remarked to prevent infliction of passions and the subsequent escalation of the
issue.
Ghana will not die, Ghana will continue to
live and it requires a collective responsibility to ensure this.
We entreat government, the Leadership of
the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and that of the leadership of GMA to ensure that
the current situations are resolved with all due diligence and in the
collective interest of mother Ghana.
Long live NAHSAG, Long live our health
Systems, Long Live Mother Ghana
Signed
BMS Amoakohene Frank
NAHSAG-President
Patrick Fynn
NAHSAG-Public and Media Relations Officer
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