Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Action

Junior doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have threatened to withdraw their services by 1st July to demand an increase in their Additional Duty Hours Allowance. The doctors say their decision follows the failure of the Ministry of Health to implement a formula that has been worked out to increase the allowance anytime there is an increase in basic salaries.

The doctors contend that they have made several attempts to get the issue resolved but their efforts have not achieved any positive results. A spokesman for the doctors, Dr Yaw Boateng Mensah told JOY FM that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Health and Employment and the Ghana Medical Association states clearly that the allowances should be computed automatically without any interference. However, he said, the Health Ministry has failed to fulfill its part of the bargain.

The junior doctors withdrew their services in February, this year to pressurize government to complete negotiations on their conditions of service. They resumed work after the Ministry of Health assured them that the issues would be addressed as soon as practicable. However, Dr Mensah says the creation of a revolving car fund and other benefits promised by the Health Ministry are yet to be implemented.