Pharmacists pull plug on 2nd phase of strike

The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) says it will not activate the second phase of its strike action, which would have seen the withdrawal of emergency services.

This is as a result of assurances from government and other key bodies especially the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to get their matter resolved.

Speaking to TV3’s Daniel Opoku in Accra on Thursday, August 13, National President of GHOSPA Stephen Corquaye said their gesture is to “look at how government responds”.

Pharmacists withdrew out-patient services last week after complaining that government has connived at a directive from former Chief of Staff Prosper Bani to get their allowances under the Single Spine Pay Policy reconfigured.

They had threatened to scale up their action by withdrawing emergency services as well as some out-patient services such as to HIV and TB patients if there was no headway in their demands.

“We are still opening a window of opportunity for both us and government by not scaling up the strike and for the cherished patient that we always think about when we are going to do such an action,” he said.

“For us we think that our issue is not supposed to be something that has to be dragged on.”

But he warned that if by the end of next week their issues are still unresolved, the suspension will be revoked.

“It will be a very unfortunate situation because we have come a long way.”