Anaesthetists resume services in Upper East Regional Hospital

Anaesthetists at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga on Thursday resumed services on surgical patients following the suspension of their strike action.

The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) embarked on a nationwide strike to protest the Ghana Medical and Dental Council’s failure to recognize its members as Certified Registered Anaesthetists, but referred to them as Physician Assistants among other concerns.

The Association’s action compelled public health facilities that rendered Anaesthetics services to refer patients, especially pregnant women with complications who needed urgent surgical procedures such as Caesarean Sections (CS) to private health facilities.

At about 1300hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the Upper East Regional Hospital, both obstetrics and gynaecological and general theatres were in full operation, five surgeries had been performed, one was done in the obstetrics and gynaecological theatre and four in the general theatre.

Apart from the surgical operations, the GNA spotted an Anaesthetist facilitating a workshop on airway management of unconscious patients for nurses in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and some selected nurses in other departments of the Hospital at its conference hall.

Dr Wisdom Afedo, who was in his theatre outfit at the general theatre of the facility, told the GNA that normal theatre services were ongoing, adding that “the Anaesthetists resumed immediately the strike was called off. We are happy everything is going on smoothly”.

He was hopeful that Authorities would address the Association’s concerns so they stay at post to render the needed services to patients.

Mr Raphael Ayiwor, an Anaesthetist who had finished the first surgical procedure for the day in the obstetric and gynaecological theatre, said: “we have called off the strike action and hope that stakeholders would adhere to our demand”.

“We do not enjoy going on strike because patients suffer the consequences, we have just finished with a case of failed induction, two more cases are booked and yet to come,” he added.