Doctors return to work, but ....

... Korle-Bu Hospital not fully functional
Accra, June 13, GNA 96 Even though Doctors at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have returned to work, the Hospital is not fully functional because of the strike by the Health Workers Group.

Patients visiting the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital remained unattended to, even though, the Ghana Medical Association announced the suspension of the strike action by doctors on Monday.


The Surgical Medical Emergency Unit; the Radiology Department; Accident Centre and the 24-hour- Pharmacy Department had few or no staff at all when the Ghana News Agency visited the Hospital on Tuesday morning to check the situation.


A few doctors were seen sitting in groups talking but refused to comment on the situation.


The Senior Technical Officer at the Children=92s Department of the Hospital, Mr John Agyei said the doctors had resumed but other health workers were still on strike so patients were being turned away unless it was an emergency.


"Hospital work is a chain work. When one chain is broken the other chain cannot work."

Mr Agyei said two emergency cases had been reported as at 1100 hours and were being attended to by doctors but other patients had been turned away.


He said there was an urgent need for the Government to find solutions to the problems so that other health workers could come back to work.


Explaining the cause of the strike action, Mr Agyei said since the Additional Duty Hour Allowance (ADHA) was replaced with the new salary structure the health workers had not received any allowance for six months.


"I have worked in this Hospital for 35 years and I receive only one million cedis as my salary. How am I going to take care of my family and my children in school? How am I going to survive?" He complained. Mr Mustapha Salifu, Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, expressed concern about the situation and said efforts were being made to solve the problem. 13 June 06