Doctors’ strike: More regions set to join

The strike by doctors across the country is set to intensify even further today with more regions set to join.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has sent official memos to public hospitals across the country, urging their members to leave consulting rooms in accordance with nationwide strike that begun Thursday.On the first day of the strike, only doctors in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions were reported to have left consulting rooms. Patients were turned away from the hospitals.
Medical doctors in other regions largely stayed at work as they waited for formal communication from their leaders.
But the situation is very likely to change Friday with the delivery of the officlal memos..

Members of the Ghana Medical Association withdrew their services nationwide Thursday after four hours of negotiations with government on their condition of service failed.
According to GMA’s road map, doctors will begin with the withdrawal of OPD services for a week.
The strike has begun hitting the health sector hard as the country’s premier health facility, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has announced that its OPD has been closed.
If after a week, the concerns of the doctors are not resolved, the doctors will withdraw emergency services later resign en masse.
Social media has been saturated with what is perceived to be the demands of the doctors, posted on Facebook by a Presidential Staffer.
Some have called the patriotism of the doctors into question describing what is purported to be the demands by the doctors as outrageous. The demands include clothing allowance, 30% of basic salary; professional allow 50% of basic salary/ month, fuel (House Officer- SMO), 80 gallons per month; PMO – Specialist, 90gallons per month; Senior Specialist- Consultant, 100gallons per month.
But members of the GMA have condemned the "false" speculation as offensive and unfortunate.
Even though the Facebook post by the source at the Presidency claimed House Officers are currently enjoying 20 gallons of fuel per month, an anonymous doctor who spoke to Joy FM Thursday has said that claim is aimed at maligning doctors.