Ghana Medical Association Announces Total Withdrawal Of Services Effective July 22

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has announced a roadmap to withdraw its services from the various health facilities across the country.

This is in light of Organised Labor’s statewide strike declaration.

Organized Labour has announced a decision to embark on an industrial strike effective Monday, July 15, to protest the sale of a 60 percent stake in four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel which is owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.

Hours after this, the GMA has outlined modalities to execute its side of the industrial action.

The GMA has directed all medical doctors to join the industrial action on Monday, July 15, 2024.

The association said it will start by withdrawing Out Patient Department (OPD) services from July 15 to 17.

This will be followed by emergency services from July 18 to July 21.

According to a release signed by Dr. Frank Serebour, a total withdrawal of services is scheduled for Monday, July 22, 2024.

The GMA said in a statement dated July 12 that, “This is to press home the demand for Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to terminate the sale of sixty percent (60%) of its shares in the four (4) Hotels.”

It stated that “The National Executive Council (NEC), following an emergency meeting on 12th July 2024 to discuss the development, directs the following roadmap for the industrial action:

“Members are to adhere to the roadmap stated above unless otherwise communicated by Council,” the statement concluded.

 

 

 

 

 

Background

The leadership of Organised Labour met on Friday, July 12, 2024, a day after the National Pensions Regulatory Commission (NPRA) gave the green light for the transaction to proceed.

The NPRA on June 28 directed SSNIT to suspend its negotiations with Rock City over the proposed sale of the four hotels, pending further evaluation and engagement but rescinded that directive and gave its approval of the transaction.

NPRA’s reversal was announced on the floor of Parliament by Pensions Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah on Thursday, July 11.

“I can tell you on authority that NPRA has since indicated that they have seen the processes, and they think that SSNIT can go ahead,” the Pensions Minister informed Parliament.

The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, Dr. Yaw Baah urged all workers to abstain from their work on Monday, July 15 until the transaction is terminated.

“We find it extremely difficult to understand how and why NPRA will turn around to approve such a flawed deal …and so we will like to reiterate that the sale of SSNIT shares in the four hotels is not in the best interest of the country and we therefore demand that SSNIT terminates the deal immediately.

“From Monday, July 15, 2024, all workers in Ghana must not go to work until SSNIT publicly announces the termination of the processes to sell its shares in the hotels.”
 

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