Korle Bu doctors suspend strike action

Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital suspended an intended strike action after tough negotiations at a marathon meeting in Accra with high-ranking Ministry of Health officials.

The doctors, who had began a strike on Friday morning to back their demand for the payment of their delayed Additional Duty Hour (ADH) allowances, agreed to go back to work after assurances from Dr Richard Anane, the Health Minister.

The Minister told them that cheques for payment of junior doctors were ready for collection and those for senior doctors would be ready on Monday.

The doctors were also protesting against cuts in the ADH allowances. There were several appeals from senior health ministry officials convincing the agitating doctors who were not satisfied with the promises and assurances.

Dr Efua Hesse, a senior medical officer at the Children's Department, asked the doctors to go back to work while their grievances were receiving attention.

Briefing the press after the meeting, Mr. Moses Dani Baah, Deputy Health Minister, attributed the delay and cuts in the allowances to the huge amount involved as a result of bloated records.

He said some of the health personnel did not qualify for allowances but put in claims, which swelled up the figures.

Another reason for the delay was the cumbersome administrative procedures in compiling records for payment.

The deputy minister said the junior doctors received a 100 per cent payment and those for senior doctors would be adjusted, hence their cheques would be ready for collection on Monday.