Authorities at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital will today [Tuesday] meet striking nurses at the facility who are demanding payment of their salary arrears.
The nurses numbering about hundred declared a sit down strike yesterday demanding that their two year salary arrears be paid by Friday.
[contextly_sidebar id=”tMb5zETXNf4eBQ9xN0SyBjwF2eSfLyHz”]Speaking to Citi News, Acting Director at the Hospital Dr. Pinamang Appau said today’s meeting will seek to address the issues raised by the nurses.
“They are quite a lot and definitely it is going to affect us. Management is going to meet and we will know what to do. We will also meet them. They started this course somewhere during the end of last year, but we’ve been having talks with them. They’ve done well, they’ve gone through certain processes, but we will still talk to them so that it doesn’t degenerate into something else,” added Dr. Appau
The nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital declared a sit-down strike on Monday after several efforts to have their salary arrears paid them proved futile.
The spokesman for the aggrieved nurses, told Citi News: “Judging by what we have done, diplomatic steps and everything – they talk about us being essential workers. We know we are, we know how important our work is. As essential workers, we need to be paid what is due us. Essential workers cannot come to work when they are hungry.
According to him, the quality of healthcare given to the inmates of the Accra psychiatric hospital may be seriously affected if the care givers are not motivated to do their work.
“We deal with psychologically tortured patients and if we are not well how do we care for them. We don’t want the inefficiency of government to be put on these innocent patients. That is why we are starting a sit-down strike today. We’ll be here today [Monday} and we’ll be here tomorrow. We’ll be here until Friday. If the government doesn’t pay us by Friday, we have no option but to go and sit at home.”
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana