GMA softens stance on strike action
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has step down its earlier decision of total withdrawal of services to public hospital until Sunday April 21, 2013 if government does not meet their demands.
The Association members threatened last week to totally withdraw all services including emergency cases from today Monday April 15, 2013.
After a marathon emergency NEC meeting held on Sunday April 14, 2013 with Council members, the GMA decided to consider the proposal from government as indicated in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on Thursday, April 11, 2013 and the numerous appeals from well meaning Ghanaians.
The NEC of GMA has therefore advised government to restore the payment of Conversion Difference, which will ensure that the basic salaries of doctors was restored to the levels of the Health Service Salary Structure Pay Scale 1 (HSSS 1) before migration unto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), as stipulated in the government white paper governing the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
The GMA has also threatened that if their issues were not completely resolved by Sunday April 21, 2013; it will suspend attending to all emergency services and take care of in-patients until they were discharged.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the meeting, the President of GMA Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei, said their demands were not new demands and they would want to see clear written instructions signed by the Minister of Finance to the Controller and Accountant’s General as to the agreed payments of our Market Premium and the restoration of all deducted Conversion Difference.
“We have had series of such encounters and promises but to no avail and this time round we want to see action taken and also alley the fears of the doctors that the usual call of the strike and we will settle you later but no show…”
The NEC of GMA has therefore advised all doctors to go by this directive and continue to attend divisional meetings for updates.
It would be recalled that on Monday, April 8, 2013, doctors in the public sector withdrew all out-patient services and attended to emergencies and in-patients.
Source: GNA