By Mabel Esinam Awagah
The Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professionals has suspended its industrial action, following an engagement with the National Labour Commission, NLC.
At a media briefing in Accra, the Chairman of the Korle-Bu chapter, Dr. Francis Kwakye Antwi, said the group will continue its engagement with the NLC to finalize all issues.
He urged all members to resume work effective Tuesday, August 6th, 2024.
“As law abiding Professionals after an exhaustive consultation with the executive, with the council, and with the general membership we have agreed to suspend our industrial action.
“We expect all our members to resume work on the 6th of August. we have been summoned to meet the Commission on Tuesday 6th August. And so, leadership will go and meet with the Commission. All we are demanding for is for the appointment of a director of Allied Health, not just Korle Bu Teaching hospital but for the entire Teaching hospital. There is time for everything as the Bible put it and this is the time from 2024 and beyond. We are not going to accept the fact that we are second class citizens anymore,” he emphasized.
President of the Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professionals, Dr. Shirazu Issahaku, stated, that if their talk with the NLC does not yield a satisfactory outcome, they will be forced to resume the strike.
“When the issue started, the board actually wrote to us that they have established the Directorate of Allied Health, what is now left with and what is missing is the appointment of a Director of Allied Health because we believe that if a Directorate is created the next thing would have been to add that we are about to appoint the Director of Allied Health but that part was missing. We believe that in the coming days, by Wednesday as we were promised that Director of Allied Health will be appointed. If for any reason that fails to happen what it means is that we will resume our action,” he said.
Members of the group said although they produce more than 80 percent of Korle Bu’s Internally Generated Funds, they have over the years been treated unfairly, especially with regard to appointment to leadership position.
Last week, the Korle-Bu Chapter, declared an industrial action in demand for the appointment of a director to represent their organization, citing, more than fifty years of neglect by the hospital’s board of directors and the Ministry of Health.
The Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professionals is made up of professional groups including the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, the Ghana Physiotherapy Association, and the Ghana Society of Radiographers.
The group remains an integral part of Ghana’s healthcare system as members provide essential services including blood work, speech therapy, and laboratory services.
