Doctors, dentists threaten strike next week over conditions of service

Medical doctors and dentists in public health facilities across the country have threatened to withdraw their services from next week if the government fails to sign off new conditions of service for them.

A communiqué issued by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) at Tamale Sunday gave the government up to 6:00 p.m. November 17, 2019, to approve a new working conditions document for implementation to take effect from January 1, 2020.

If the government fails, they warned, all outpatient department (OPD) services in all public health facilities shall be withdrawn from November 18.

The withdrawal of OPD services, the doctors and dentists said, will continue until December 1.

“From Monday, December 2, 2019, to Sunday, December 8, 2019, emergency services shall be withdrawn,” the GMA announced.

It said “all services shall be totally withdrawn” from Monday, December 9.

The GMA said the conditions of service document it signed with the government in September 2015 which took effect from January 1, 2016, expired on December 31, 2018.

Prior to the expiration of the document, it said, it took steps towards its renewal by engaging the government through the Ministry of Health but “to no avail”.

Doctors and Dentists, according to the GMA, “are dissatisfied with the progress so far made” for which reason the members are giving the government a week to address the issues or risk withdrawal of services.