hallway inside an abandoned mental hospital.

A taskforce set up by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is visiting hospitals to stop members of the association who are at post as their strike rages on.

A Circular issued Monday by the leadership of the Nurses and Midwives in the Eastern region stated “All nurses, midwives, anaesthetist and PAs scheduled for morning and afternoon should continue with their sleep. Night staff should write their reports and handover the wards to the Doctor on duty latest 7:50am and exit the facility calmly. The special grounds task force will commence a “sweep-out” at exactly 8:00 am. Please comply with the above directives”.

The strike has left many patients and pregnant women stranded in many health facilities across the Eastern Region.

A visit to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua saw empty wards and OPDs as Nurses and Midwives abandon post.

Background

Nurses and midwives across the country have Commerced a strike action today Monday, September 21,2020 over poor conditions of service.

It comes after the failure of government to agree with the health workers on their demand for improved conditions of service.

A press release by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association noted “having reconvened in the meetings held on 15th and 16th September 2020 the posture of the Employer changed for the better but did not meet the expectation of the majority of Nurses, Midwives, Physician Assistants and Certified Registered Anaesthetists in Ghana.”

The statement, therefore, directed its members to stay away from work until the outstanding issues are addressed with their employer.

Meanwhile, an Accra High Court on Friday granted an interlocutory injunction application by the National Labour Commission against the strike.

The move by the court presided by Justice Frank Aboagye Rockson is to stop the health workers from their industrial action.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah