Reassign them or we strike – Lab workers 'fight' KATH over two medical staff

Laboratory workers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have threatened to embark on a strike starting Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

This was contained in a statement addressed to the hospital’s CEO, Dr Oheneba Danso, citinewsroom.com reports.

The action is in response to the failure of management to reassign two medical officers who were posted to the department two years ago, the website said.

The hospital administration has been given up to the close of work on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, to address their concerns and have the physicians reassigned or have the industrial action triggered.

“If by the close of day Tuesday the 18th of May 2021, these two medical officers are still officially staff within LSD and the Haematology Unit to be precise, then the entire membership of the GALMS-KATH Chapter will begin a sit-down strike beginning Wednesday 19th May 2021″, part of the statement quoted by the CNR read.

The group claimed that two medical officers, Lesley Osei and Eunice Agyemang Ahmed were posted to the Laboratory Service Department by the hospital’s Medical Director as clinical haematologists.

Various protest letters, they say, were written to the KATH chapter of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLMS) to register their displeasure to no avail.

Members of the association thus agreed to the strike at a joint emergency meeting with their leadership last Tuesday.

According to them, there are further series of actions to be taken to resist the move if the two officers remain at the LSD unit.

“Further, actions that have been outlined to press home our demand will be communicated to your office in due course of these two professionals remain as part of the staff of the Haematology Laboratory Unit within LSD.”

“It is our hope that you will act quickly on this letter in order to avoid any disruptions of the industrial peace and harmony within KATH and by extension Ashanti Region and Ghana as a whole. The National Association will not hesitate to call a national strike on this matter should the situation remains the same”, the statement concluded.