Physician assistants on strike over salary discrepancies

• Posted on September 10, 2018
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

Physician assistants in Ghana are not dispensing services at the outpatient departments (OPDs) in the various hospitals in the country in protest of what they say is government’s delay in resolving issues bothering them including salary discrepancies.

A statement from the leadership of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association directed “all physician assistants nationwide to effective Monday, 10^th September 2018, withdraw all Out Patients Department (OPD) services as outlined in our road-map.”

The statement jointly signed by the Association’s President and acting General Secretary, Alhaji Chief Imoro Bandana II, and Peter Eyram Kuenyefu, said the decision has become necessary because government and the sector agencies “have not shown any commitment to resolve the numerous problems presented.”

The Association in the statement cited its main concerns as salary discrepancies, obsolete job description, poor conditions of service, career progression/advancement/specialization for physician assistants, financial clearance for both public and privately trained physician assistants, internship allowance,  NHIS medicine list among others.

“All members are to adhere to the 1^st phase of the earlier road-map outlined. Leadership will not entertain any form of intimidation of its members by superiors,” the statement warned.

The physician assistants embarked on strike in April 2018 in protest of the arrest of their colleague allegedly connected to the death of four persons at the New Senchi Health Centre.

The four allegedly died after receiving some injections.

The Ghana Health Service identified a Disease Control Officer, as the one who administered the contaminated injections to the patients, leading to the deaths.

But the Ghana Physician Assistants Association declared a nationwide sit-down strike at the time claiming there was a cover-up. Their colleague was eventually released by the police.