The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists has served notice it will embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
This action is in solidarity with their members at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) who began a one-week sit-down strike last week to protest the posting of two medical officers to the Laboratory Services Directorate of the hospital.
Calls by the Ministry of Health and management of KATH for the scientists to resume work for dialogue to begin, have yielded no results. Speaking to the media, the National Public Relations Officer of the Association, Dennis Adu-Gyasi, said the decision was taken at an emergency meeting with its members.
“What is happening at KATH is an affront on the practice of medical laboratory science in Ghana. The leadership of Komfo Anokye is not ready to give in to the request of the scientists over there, and it is still imposing the medical officers on the professionals. We think it is a matter that needs to be taken up at the national level. We think that if by Wednesday nothing happens, we will take it [issue] up and escalate the industrial action on a national scale.”
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Members of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Chapter of the Association have already declared a one-week sit-down strike since Thursday, 20th May, 2021, to protest the decision of the hospital’s management to keep the two medical specialists in key positions at the Directorate.
The Chairman of GAMLS-KATH, Ernest Badu Boateng, who spoke to the after an emergency meeting with their members at the hospital, said the Ministry of Health and the management of KATH have the one-week window to reassign the medical specialists.
He said if the authorities fail to change their stance, all medical laboratory scientists in the country will meet to take another action.
Source: Citi
