A nationwide strike by the Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) is seriously affecting patients who seek medical attention from hospitals in the Upper East Region.
The strike has seen the suspension of Out-Patients Departments (OPD’s), nights and weekend services.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Xvt9CgH6apfzFYm4MNoKJACU3VdlgHXV”]The strike seems to have compounded already existing labour issues in the country’s health sector following similar actions by doctors.
The Citi News’ Upper East Regional Correspondent, Fred Awuni visited the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and reports that Patients who visit the Hospital leave frustrated because the members of (GHOSPA) in the hospital are not attending to them.
One Patient he spoke to said “it is frustrating because am from the village, am coming all the way from the Sandema for treatment and when I came the general doctors took care of me but they said I should go elsewhere to buy the medicine because the pharmacists are on strike and it’s quite disturbing”
Another medical care seeker poured out her frustrations as follows; “I was told to go and see the doctor to write the drugs for me so I go and buy and that they are on strike. I feel very bad. I don’t have money that is why I came with the insurance so that they can help me, but the government has to do something about it because it is very bad.”
In response to allegations of abandoning patients to their own fate, the Upper East Regional Chairman of GHOSPA Emmanuel Abaare said it is the government that had pushed them this far.
He said “it is government who is taking the ordinary Ghanaian and the pharmacists to ransom; we have been pushed to this extent.”
The Association declared a nationwide strike during the week over what they say are discrepancies on their placement on the Single Spine Salary Structure.
–
By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana