More patients across the country have been left stranded as the strike by Nurses, Midwives and other Health Service Providers enters day two.
The strike took full flight Monday, September 21, despite an Interlocutory Injunction secured by the National Labour Commission (NLC) to prevent the action.
The striking health workers are demanding better working conditions such as transport and other allowances.
Some departments in hospitals have to be closed down, while in some cases, doctors who are already over stretched have to take up extra duties.
Meanwhile, the Africa Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis, a Policy Think Tank on health, says the timing of the strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, is wrong.
This is because the country is still battling COVID-19 and needs the services of health workers to survive the pandemic.
Executive Director of the Center, Dr. Thomas Anaba, said Government’s approach to the matter, should be persuasive. He appealed to the health workers to resume work taking into consideration, the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a related development, Labour Expert, Charles Bawaduah, says parties involved in the Nurses and other Allied Health Workers strike have not handled the issues well.
He told GBC’s Radio Ghana, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, acting on behalf of Government, should have put in measures to solve the problem before it escalated to the point, where the health workers resorted to strike.
His comment comes on the back of an ultimatum by the National Labour Commission to the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association to resume work or face dismissal.
Mr Bawaduah said issues of labour need to be handled with tact, especially given that nurses belong to the Essential Services Category.
Mr. Bawaduah said the National Labour Commission does not have the mandate and powers to dismiss any worker, instead, it should listen to the aggrieved Health Workers and resolve issues concerning their Conditions of Service.
By: Nathaniel Nartey and George Ankrah.
Listen to attached audio for detailed information.
