Junior doctors across the country have threatened to occupy the offices of the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) from July 27 until they receive their salary arrears covering 11 months.
The doctors, numbering about 91, have not been paid since September 2014 since they began working at their respective hospitals nationwide.
[contextly_sidebar id=”JhOuFFdeKIPw8Dtj5sUZ382SQWOaZNMq”]So far, only the junior doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi have received their salaries.
In an interview with Citi News, spokesperson for the affected doctors, Dr. Nana Kissi Attafah said: “We have decided that come the 27th of this month, we will all move to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department office…you can’t expect us to work 10 months, 11 months without pay…we can’t take it anymore so on the 27th, we are all coming down to Accra, we are all going to sit in their offices with them, whatever they will do, we will do it with them until we are paid.”
He explained that following the petition sent to the Controller, a meeting was arranged between them and the second-in-command at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
He however revealed that they were offered to pay them one month salary at the end of August but in order for them to get the arrears; they would have to individually apply for it.
This suggestion, according to Dr. Attafah was rejected.
“We told him that that was unacceptable but he said that was the best that can do,” he said.
“As a group, we feel that this is so far reaching. We’ve worked for 10 months and the best they can do for us is to pay us a month’s salary and then ask us to apply for the arrears?” he fumed.
Dr Attafah stressed that the junior doctors have been working for 10 months with no pay despite all the challenges we have been facing and since they are at their wits ends, their only option now is to occupy the offices of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department from July 27 until all arrears owed them are paid.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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