VEEP visits Korle-Bu to assess effects of strike action

Accra, June 14, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Wednesday visited the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where five weeks of industrial action by the medical staff had brought work at the country's premier referral medical facility to a standstill.

When the Vice President got to the medical edifice at about 1455 hours, the Out Patients Department was deserted.

The nationwide strike, initiated by Junior Medical Doctors in pursuit of fat salaries later infected Nurses and Paramedics, who also laid down their tools for better conditions of service. Flanked by Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Vice President Alhaji Mahama visited the Children's Block; Maternity Ward and Accident Centre where few nurses were assisting the Doctors on duty to take care of the few patients on admission. He also inspected rehabilitation works on the Medical Block, where the Hospital Authorities were expecting 15 billion cedis from Government coffers to complete.

At the Children's Ward mothers were seen administering drugs and carrying out basic medical care under instructions to save the lives of their frail looking babies, some of whom were receiving oxygen and infusions.

Some of the parents told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they were compelled to stay with their children for 24 hours due to the industrial action.

The few Nurses on duty also told the Vice President that their determination to volunteer their services was being frustrated by the hierarchy of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association, who had directed that they leave the patients to their fate and embark on total boycott.

Vice President Alhaji Mahama used the three-hour visit to appeal to the striking medical personnel to rescind their decision to prolong the strike.

He said he had met with Major Courage Quarshigah (rtd) Minister of Health, and the Leadership of the striking personnel to resolve their grievances and expressed the hope that by the end of June, 2006 all discrepancies in their salaries would be rectified. Vice President Alhaji Mahama said teamwork was the cornerstone of the medical profession, hence the need for the striking workers to get on board to offer quality care to patients. Dr Ben Daniel Annan, Director of Medical Affairs at Korle-Bu, said all pharmacies had closed down as a result of the strike action and so the health authorities had adopted contingency measures to help to treat emergency cases. He said the Allied Surgery Block and some few wards had been merged to enable the few the Nurses available to take care of patients. Meanwhile eight lactating mothers, who have been detained by the medical authorities for non-payment of bills, heaved a sigh of relief when Vice President Alhaji Mahama promised them that Government was taking over the payment of their bills, which, ranged between 1.5 million cedis and 2.2 million cedis.

Ms Leticia Danku, who has been detained for three months, told the JA/BDB