Police turn down demo request by unpaid Korle Bu nurses

The police have turned down a request by some nurses at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to stage a demonstration next week.

About 700 nurses at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have not been paid since January 2012.

The nurses comprising Health Assistants, Clinical, Registered General Nurses and Degree Nurses, were employed by the Health Ministry to work at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital.

They had notified the police by the Public Order Act to stage a street protest on July 2nd, 2013.

They had also resolved to withdraw their services from that period.

Management of the hospital was hoping an appeal by its Board would help avert the planned unrest.

But with just days to go for the demonstrations, the Dansoman Divisional Command of the Ghana Police Service have decided they cannot “give the green light” to stage the protest.

Not until the Election Petition hearing is over, the Police Public Relations Directorate says.

The nurses had planned to demonstrate from Dansoman through High Street – close to the premises of the Supreme Court.

DSP Freeman Tettey of the Police Public Relations Directorate tells JOYNEWS the date and venue for the march is not conducive.

He noted the resources of the Police Service have been committed to the election petition.

Places such as Teshie and Ashaiman have become security zones after public agitation in recent times, he added.

DSP Tettey says this is stretching the Service thinly.

He appealed to the nurses to consider their constraints and postpone the demonstration till after the Election Petition hearing.