The Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professions at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has announced plans to initiate a nationwide strike.
The group demands the appointment of a director to represent their organization, citing over fifty years of neglect by the hospital's board of directors and the Ministry of Health.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at KBTH, the Federation's chairman Dr. Francis Kwakye Antwi outlined the grievances and demands of the Allied Health Professions.
According to him, they sought the intervention of the Ministry of Health to abort the pending brouhaha.
The chairman emphasized the historical significance and vital contributions of Allied Health Professions to the healthcare system.
The professions within this federation include Radiography, Biomedical Laboratory Science, Blood Bank Profession, Biomedical Engineering, Audiology/Speech Therapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Medical Physicist, Optometry, Biostatistics, Health Information Management, and Dental Technicians, among others.
"Despite our contributions, which include generating over 80% of the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) in the Hospital, we have been marginalized and excluded from leadership positions," the chairman stated.
He further argued that this marginalization has negatively impacted productivity and morale among members, who feel treated as second-rate professionals despite their qualifications, and as a result, the federation seeks the immediate advertisement and appointment of a Director of Allied Health, a position they believe should replace the proposed Deputy Director of Medical Affairs (Allied Health) by the hospital recently.
“We will not be silenced or ignored. We demand recognition and respect for our professions. We will fight for our rights, and we will not back down.
“We hereby call on all Ghanaians, to support this cause and join us to demand immediate response from the authorities in order to make the Allied Health Professions more efficient and improve healthcare delivery,” the chairman added.
He asserted that the Federation had earlier planned a march for July 25, 2024, but suspended it after being informed that the Minister and Chief Director of the Ministry of Health would meet with the Board.
According to him, on July 26, 2024, they met with the Board, only to be offered a Deputy Director position, which they found unacceptable.
As a result, they have resolved to resume their planned actions, including a series of work-to-rule actions, withdrawal of services, and ultimately a full nationwide strike if their demands are not met.
The timeline for these actions is as follows:
“August 1, 2024: Work-to-rule (limiting services to the bare minimum)
“August 2, 2024: Withdrawal of Outpatient Department (OPD) services (attending only to emergency cases and in-patients)
“August 5, 2024: Withdrawal of in-patient services (stopping in-patient care, attending only to emergencies)
“August 6, 2024: Full strike (members will not work)
“August 7, 2024: Nationwide strike (other health institutions across the country will join the action).”
AM/EK
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