The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GAMBLs), has said it is surprised by the decision taken by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to set up a Committee to find solutions to the circumstances which led to their week-long strike in August.
According to GAMBLs, the Ministry has said it will set up a five-member committee to deliberate after some concerns raised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons over the policy document for the sector .
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GAMBLs, Dennis Adu-Gyasi, added that the association was ready to present itself before the Committee once it is inaugurated.
He however said they are surprised that a new committee was being set up given that the same process had been undertaken a year ago.
“The Ministry is insisting that the Ghana College for Physicians and Surgeons has indicated they have issues with the policy document and that they will want to make their input. This has already been done almost a year ago when a five-member committee was set up for everybody to make a presentation and agree, he said”
“It’s quite unfortunate that the College pulled out of the negotiations at that time and quite surprising that the Ministry is insisting for the College to come to the table again; but we are going to meet the Committee and we’ll see the terms of reference at the inauguration.”
The Biomedical scientists recently called off their week-long strike following talks with the government.
A suit had been filed against the Association by the National Labour Commission (NLC) in a bid to get the scientists to call off their strike.
The NLC sued the striking biomedical scientists after it had earlier ordered them not to embark on that action.
The hearing, originally set for last Tuesday, August 30, was adjourned to October 10 following the decision by the Association to call off its strike.
Dennis Adu-Gyasi said at the time that the Association would hold talks with representatives of the Ministry later in September in a bid to resolve the impasse.
“In September as has been scheduled by the Labour Commission, we are going to meet the Ministry at the Commission. The Ministry has given us a letter for us to present a member in a Committee that they are forming with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as they have indicated that the College has given concerns about the policy document after it had been signed by Sherry Ayitey [Former Health Minister] in 2014,” he said.
Speaking to Citi News on Monday, Mr. Adu-Gyasi, said that they were yet to be notified of the date set for the Committee’s inauguration and were unsure what decision it will take.
“We are yet to receive the letter of when the Committee is going to be inaugurated, the five-member committee the Ministry is saying will be independent. The decision is going to be made within a period of six weeks,” he said
“We’ve gone through this before, we don’t know what is going to be the outcome; but we’ll subject ourselves once we get to know the terms of reference of that Committee.”
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana