TTH: Doctors, Lab Scientists join nurses, midwives strike

Doctors and Laboratory scientists at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have joined midwives and nurses to strike in protest to attacks on their CEO, Dr David Kolbilla, by a coalition of pro-NPP youth including vigilante group Kandahar Boys, on Monday 13 August 2018.

The youth, who attacked the hospital, accused the CEO of adopting a habit of issuing threats to staff, engaging in procurement breaches and neglecting the purchase of key hospital consumables such as examination gloves, needles and syringes, among others.

They also alleged that under Dr Kolbilla’s watch, the Tamale Teaching Hospital keeps deteriorating.

But the nurses and midwives, in a press statement on Tuesday, 14 August 2018, said: “We are by this release registering our utmost disgust in respect of the recent happenings at the Tamale Teaching Hospital regarding the invasion, manhandling and locking of the office of the CEO of the hospital.

“We are particularly worried that this is not the first time such a thing is happening in TTH. Past CEOs like Dr Nsia Asare, Dr Tapang, Dr Kenneth Sagoe, Dr Prosper Akanbong and now Dr David Kolbilla, have all suffered this violent act from lawless groups of people within Tamale without any repercussions.

“We, as nurses and midwives of the hospital, condemn these acts of lawlessness that have bedevilled the institution over the past years. Many nurses, midwives and other staff, have faced brutalities over the years at the hospital at the hands of these lawless groups".

Speaking on this development, the Pubic Relations Officer of the TTH, Dr Ken Osei told Chief Jerry Forson on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday, August 15 that: “The doctors and Medical Science Laboratories have also joined the strike and so its not only the midwives and the nurses.”

“As we speak, only patients who are already on admission are being treated, new patience and not being attended to,” he added.

Meanwhile Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed has appealed to the health workers to resume work as government addresses their concerns.