Pharmacists to withdraw emergency services today

The Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) will withdraw its services to all emergency cases including psychiatry and ART for Persons Living with HIV and AIDS effective Monday April 29, 2013.

This has become necessary because no concrete headway has been made to address their concerns and demands.


The pharmacists are demanding an immediate compliance with the National Labour Commission (NLC) decision on pharmacists grading structure by the government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).


They are also demanding an immediate adjustment of an appropriate market premium commensurate with their job evaluation scores.


A statement issued by the association and signed by its President, Stephen Corquaye and copied to the Ghana News Agency, called on its members to be resolute and steadfast: "we are pursuing our legitimate and just due, as reflected in the job evaluation exercises carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers in October 2010.”


“Ghanaians should not blame us for any misfortune but rather put the blame on the door steps of the FWSC boss, Mr George Smith Graham”.

The NLC on April 16, this year, ruled in favour of the pharmacists in a case brought against them by the FWSC.


In a meeting with the NLC, the stay of execution application brought by the FWSC was dismissed, implying that, the FWSC has no other option than to implement the grading system prepared by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service Council.


By the ruling of the NLC, the FWSC was obliged to forestall further industrial actions by GHOSPA by implementing its decision; NLC will also have to adopt the grading system by the MOH and GHS who invariably have the responsibility to manage industrial relations in the health sector.


GHOSPA on April 8, embarked on a strike to press on government to pay their salary arrears as well their market premiums owed them by government.


Since their strike action, various bodies like the NLC, FWSC as well as the general public and opinion leaders in society have intervened to plead with them to rescind their decision and resume whilst they dealt with government to resolve their concerns.