The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anesthetists has given an indication that it will intensify its ongoing strike until its concerns are addressed.
Checks by Citi News at various health facilities in the Ashanti Region show that many surgeries are being referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, while others are being rescheduled.
Following the withdrawal of their services, the leadership of the association is expected to meet the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), to find a solution to their concerns.
The National Public Relations Officer of the group, Seth McAndoh, told the members will only resume work after successful deliberations.
“We have been invited by CHAG, so we are going to be in a meeting with them to see if something positive really comes out of it, then we call off the strike.”
The striking workers say they will not back down on their quest to have a government through the Health Ministry address the current impasse between them and the Medical and Dental Council.
The Association on Saturday, January 1, 2022, began an indefinite nationwide strike following what it described as the expiration of the licence of its members and title change.
Eastern Region
In the Eastern Region, where the strike by the members is also in full force, leaders say they are resolute and will ensure that all their demands are addressed before they return to work.
One of their leaders, Kwabena Aresa, said;
“All that we need is better conditions of service. The intimidation and disrespect from the Medical and Dental Council are unbecoming. The strike is having a negative effect on poor Ghanaians. We cannot be referring all cases to Accra and Kumasi. The government should just intervene so that we go back to work and resolve this issue. That is all that we are asking because we want Ghanaians to be alive.”
Central Region
The Central Regional Chairman of the Certified Anaesthetists Association, Mathew Mensah, has called on the government to attend to their demands to enable them to go back to work as early as possible.
He said the strike is already having a negative impact on the operations of health facilities in the region as some lives have been lost.
“We were expecting that, by this time, the impact would have been dealt with. It’s not a pleasant situation that we stay away from work. I am hoping that a consensus will be reached so that, we will be able to return to work. The reports we are getting from the facilities are not good. Some lives have been lost, and other cases are being transferred”.
Volta Region
Emergency cases in some hospitals in the Volta Region are being referred to other private hospitals in order to save lives as a result of the strike by the Certified Registered Anaesthetists in some public hospitals.
Some members who spoke to off-camera say, the strike has become necessary because, per their current standings, members don’t hold licences to practice.
The Anaethesia Assessment Clinic at the Ho Teaching Hospital was shut down with no patient at the unit.
Efforts to speak to authorities of the facility proved futile.
The group wants the Ministry of Health to lead the charge in ensuring that the licences of its members are renewed.
The members have in recent times engaged in a tussle with the Ministry of Health and the Medical and Dental Council over their conditions of service, among other concerns.
