A group of junior doctors across the country have petitioned the Controller and Accountant General’s Department over their unpaid salaries.
Numbering about 91, the medical house officers who began work in September 2014 are yet to be paid their salaries with the exception of junior doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, who recently received their salary arrears.
As of now, house officers at the Tema General Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, Sunyani Regional Hospital, Cape Coast Regional Hospital and the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho have not received their salaries for 10 months.
[contextly_sidebar id=”wkoeGXT8Xjs8zD76rf8pQ5uzO73FlqYG”]In an interview with Citi News, spokesperson for the affected doctors, Dr. Nana Kissi Attafah said the situation is affecting effective delivery of healthcare at their various hospitals.
He said there have been no explanations for the situation.
“We have been working for 10 months and we still have not received our salary. No explanation has been given to us.”
According to him, they have been “hearing rumours but no official explanation has been given to us and we think that it is inappropriate because we have been working so they least they could do is to pay us.”
Dr. Attafah indicated that after weeks of making noise about the situation, only a handful of doctors were paid their one-month salary out of the 10 months.
He thus charged the Controller and the Accountant General to take up their matter and resolve it as soon as possible.
Dr. Attafah said the doctors feel government is taking them for granted and also, they feel “wronged because our people are in hospitals working and some have taken loans which are piling up on them.”
Health Minister lied
He disputed the Health Minister, Alex Segbefia report to Parliament to the effect that all junior doctors have been paid their salaries.
“We have actually listened to the Health Minister in Parliament say that doctors have been sorted in terms of being posted and being paid but it’s not true! Not all of us have been paid,” he said.
“Those of us in Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, Volta Regional Hospital and the Tema General Hospital have not been paid our salaries.”
He recalled that about a month ago, a few of the doctors were paid a month’s salary “and I think that is a bit ridiculous because we’ve been working for 10 months so why do you just pay a numerable few and pay just a month’s salary.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana