177 Doctors expected from Cuba — Segbefia
Processes are ongoing for about 177 Cuban doctors to be brought into the country to assist in healthcare delivery as the ongoing strike by doctors enters its third week.
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In addition, the government will retain about 16 Cuban doctors who have completed their term and are due to return to Cuba in order to reduce the pressure in quasi-government hospitals.
The Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia, who announced this in Accra yesterday, said although the doctors were bound to leave the country, they would be made to stay and assist until the issues with the public doctors were resolved.
He was speaking at a press conference to outline the government’s emergency plans to deal with the effects of the strike by public sector doctors.
Minimal effect
Mr Segbefia said to minimise the effects of the strike, the government had directed heads of health facilities to ensure the provision of a full range of services by today.
He also stated that the heads had been tasked to monitor and provide weekly updates on health workers at post to his office, adding that with effect from August 20, all Ghana Medical Association (GMA) members not at post would be deemed as being on strike and in breach of the Labour Act.
He said the government had put in place interim measures to lessen the impact of the strike on the public.
He added that the Ministry of Health had posted additional nurses and midwives to the Police and the 37 Military hospitals, while the Ghana Ambulance Service had been put on high alert.
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Touching on doctors on housemanship, Mr Segbefia said although the strike would delay the completion of their training, they were to be at post for arrangements to be made for their supervision and further placement.
“Additionally, about 25 quasi health facilities, 178 hospitals and clinics of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), private healthcare providers and retired doctors across the country are supporting to deliver health care, while we take legitimate steps to restore normalcy,” he indicated.
Appeal
Mr Segbefia appealed to the striking doctors to return to work and to the negotiating table, saying the government was ready to resume the stalled negotiations with the GMA if the doctors called off their strike.
“Government has indicated that it cannot negotiate with doctors while they are still embarking on an illegal strike. Government recognises the right of workers to negotiate for better conditions of service. Without prejudice to the right of the GMA to negotiate for better conditions of service, government considers the impact of the strike on the lives of Ghanaians as unacceptable,” he stated.
The GMA indicated last Friday that it would continue with the strike for a further two weeks.