Korle-Bu Nurses still on strike

Accra (Greater Accra), 24th July, 99-

 Junior nurses at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital have refused to end their strike action despite a series of appeals by their leadership and the Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, to resume work.

The nurses, who were expected to resume work on Thursday evening, said they have lost confidence in their leadership and will resume work after they have received their extra duty allowances.

A source close to the hospital told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Friday that students from the Midwifery Training school who were called to assist the doctors and senior nurses to run the hospital were chased away by the angry nurses.

"At the Child Health Care Department, for example, a student nurse had to quickly change her uniform and put on mufti to prevent other angry nurses from beating her up," the source said.

Mrs Gladys Addy-Nettey, Director of Nursing, confirmed the threat from the striking nurses saying to ensure the security of the student nurses, the Chief Executive, Dr Henry Holdbrook-Smith, has asked for security personnel to man the wards.

"Now, there is tight security at the hospital so the student nurses should not be afraid to assist us."

Mr Fred Dugbazah, Public Relations Officer of the hospital, said at the moment, the Out-Patients Department is closed to the public and the administration "is doing its possible best to get students from the Nursing Training College to assist".

A visit by the GNA to some of the wards showed some patients wandering while others looked stranded.

GRi?/