[contextly_sidebar id=”j4w6VgdrcKbnWoE0c4Ky0U4g5OzKavIY”]Spokesperson for the Psychiatric nurses’ group, Philip Frempong Okyere, told Citi News the Health Minister must act swiftly to restore peace at the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital.

“There is no peace, and the nurses are not working, the patients are stranded. For one person to hold the whole institution to ransom, I think the Minister should look at it the second time. If the Health Minister makes any attempt to impose the man on the nurses, the other two psychiatric institutions and those working at the community level, we will also lay down our tools in support. The nurses and other professionals have clearly indicated that so long as the man remains, they are not going to work, and we support that call so we expect the Minister to act in time.”

Ankaful Nurses strike

The staff carried out their threat to lay down their tools, in an attempt to compel the government to remove the facility’s Medical Director, Dr. Eugene Dordoye from his post.

The nurses had earlier given the government a three-day ultimatum, and threatened to declare a strike, if the government fails to heed their calls.

They are accusing the Medical Director of maladministration and gross disrespect to subordinates and have refused to return to work despite a four-page letter from Dr. Dordoye apologising to them.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Other psychiatric nurses threaten to join Ankaful nurses’ strike appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The direction follows a meeting the Commission had on Wednesday with the Minister of Health, representatives of the nurses and authorities of the hospital.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1bamT6kR6cmK3WpgFXIFo1Whrv1neuEs”]The psychiatric nurses on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike, claiming that work at the facility posed serious risk to them.

They lamented that, the lack of some logistics and materials at the hospital  is making it difficult for them to discharge their duties effectively, hence their decision to lay down their tools.

But the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Charles Adongo Bawaduah, said the nurses breached the labour laws by failing to notify the NLC before embarking on the strike.

The Commission has therefore directed the Ministry of Health to devise immediate solutions by providing the nurses with logistics, drugs and  other relevant tools.

It further added that the Accra Psychiatric Hospital will settle all medical bills of members of the psychiatric nurses who in the course of duties have suffered attacks from patients.

Health Ministry begs Nurses to return to work 

The Ministry of Health earlier urged striking nurses of the psychiatric hospital to call off their strike as it works to address their concerns.

According to the Ministry, some GH¢1 billion will soon be disbursed by the Ministry of Finance for the procurement of some needed logistics for the facility.

“The finance ministry is releasing some money to us. They’ve dealt with the human right aspect of it. So moving forward, we are asking them to go back to work while we deal with the issue,”Tony Goodman, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health told Citi News.

–

By: Marian Ansah & Zoe Abu Baidoo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post NLC orders psychiatric nurses to return to work appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Chairperson of the Nurses, Jamila Hussein, the lack of medication for patients at the facility renders staff to vulnerabilities such as physical attacks from patients.

[contextly_sidebar id=”UhgLaXR92aSSltwBkfxrVoGAl8a8JbZ9″]“The patients are either beating us or they are beating other patients. That is the situation now. Those detergents keep the place clean and in section three, the minimum hours a nurse spends in a ward  is eight hours so we are at risk. Some of us are even developing infections.”

They have therefore called on government to address these challenges or face their wrath.

“We are hoping that from today till  next week Friday, the government or the  Minister or whoever is responsible will hear our cry and come to our aid and get us the things we need. If by Friday we don’t hear from them then we are going to embark on a strike.”

Accra Psychiatric Hospital shuts down OPD

The hospital suspended services at the department a few weeks ago due to financial constraints.

The situation forced the hospital’s suppliers  to withdraw their services over the unpaid debts.

Others suppliers also dragged the mental facility to court to demand payment.

Strike 

This is not the first time Nurses have threatened to embark on a strike over poor conditions of service.

In 2015,  nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries.

The strike followed what the nurses described as deceit and failure on the part of government to fulfill promises to pay them.

The nurses however called off their strike after government intervened.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Psychiatric Nurses threaten indefinite strike appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.