Doctors withdraw emergency services today
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) will from Monday April 22, will refuse to attend to emergencies as well as Out-Patients Department cases.
Patients already on admission would however be attended to till they are well and discharged.
This has become necessary as a result of the inability on the part of government to address the issues of conversion and reduced pension of doctors in the public sector.
In statement issued by the General Secretary of the Association, Dr Frank Srebour and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the decision was taken by the National Executive Council of the GMA.
He reminded doctors in the public sector of the second phase of their road map put up on April 14, and called on GMA members in the public sector to abide by it.
In an interview with the President of GMA Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei, he explained that in spite of all meetings with government to resolve the impasse, “it looks like government has gone to sleep”.
He said the negotiation team of the GMA was ready to engage government in resolving the issues but government appeared not to be ready.
It would be recalled that on Monday, April 8, doctors in the public sector withdrew all out-patient services and attended to emergencies and in-patients.
They also threatened to withdraw all services including emergency cases from April 15. After series of meetings by government, chiefs and the Trade Union Congress, GMA suspended their intended outright withdrawal of services, and gave government up till Sunday April 21, to address their concerns.
The GMA demands have been centered on government’s refusal to pay current Market Premium on 2012 basic salaries contrary to the ruling of the National Labour Commission, non- payment of market premium arrears accrued since January 2012, to date, non-correction of the reduced pension contributions of its members and non-payment of their Conversion Differences.
GMA is therefore asking government to take full responsibility for any life that may be lost at public hospitals from Monday, April 22, 2013.
Source: GNA
7 For we have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. 8 So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.
9 However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.