Patients suffering from various illnesses at some of the public hospitals in Ghana are not attended to at the Out-Patient Department (OPD) as doctors continue the nationwide strike.

The doctors have been on strike for more than a week after talks with the government over the provision of a formal document containing their conditions of service broke down.

The situation has worsened as some people with minor illnesses at these hospitals have been turned away; hence increasing the attention to seek health care at the private hospitals.

A visit by Ghanaweb to the Ridge Hospital in Accra revealed that the Out-Patient Department was empty while those with emergency cases are being attended to by the few doctors on duty.

As at the time of visit, there were only two doctors on duty at the emergency section at the OPD while some nurses were also present to assist. At the children's ward, labour ward and the accident unit emergency cases were being handled by the nurses and just a few doctors on duty.

A senior nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed that it might get worse if the government does not provide the condition of service for the doctors. “The government must respond to the plea of the doctors and work things out for them to return fully to the hospital to provide health care to patients”.

She said “the OPD section is empty because most of the patients rather prefer visiting other private hospitals and the 37 Military Hospital for treatment since they are not being affected by the strike action”.

“They have in mind that, when they come to the government hospitals, they will not get any doctor on duty to attend to them; hence the government should get things in place to call off the strike”, she stressed.

The situation was not different when the Kaneshie Polyclinic was visited. The OPD was virtually empty and only a few people were there hoping to receive health care. The labour ward, the theatre and other emergency wards were providing services to patients.

At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital it was observed that the usual number of people who visit the hospital, and the activities that go on at the hospital before the strike action has decreased. There where only a few patients for emergency cases.

“I am pleading with the Ghana Medical Association and the government to work things out fast, so the doctors call off the strike and get back to the OPD section of the government hospitals to attend to us. Especially the persons with minor illnesses are now lacking care,” a patient who gave his name only as Kofi stressed.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has withdrawn its emergency services from all government hospitals in the country after negotiations between them and government on Friday, August 7, 2015 in Accra.