The Korle-Bu Doctors Association (KODA) has kicked against the decentralising of payments of their 13th month salary arrears which forms part of their conditions of service.

According to the association, decentralising the payment means “doctors working in financially challenged departments would be disadvantaged.”

In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive of the hospital, signed by its Chairman Dr Frank Owusu-Sekyere, describing the tactics being used for the payment of their 13th month salary for doctors, as “divide-and-rule-tactics,” the association called on the Central Administration to “Cease further payment of the 25 percent until clear timelines on the arrears [have] been agreed upon.”

“We are also by this letter entreating your office to adopt consensus approach instead of the take-it-or-leave-it approach employed currently,” the letter stated.

The association has threatened to withdraw its services as management has failed to revert the timeline on the settlement of their arrears.

The association announced a roadmap to press home its demand.

Thus, “beginning the 30 of January to 5th February 2023, KODA expects management to come out with clear timelines for the payments of the arrears and to make this payment a centralized one instead of departmental after all, every payment goes into a central pool.”

It continued that: “If nothing is received, KODA members would withdraw service to Out-Patient Department as well as elective surgeries and procedures. This will commence on 6th February to 10 February 2023.”

“If nothing is heard from the 13th of February onwards, emergencies would be refused till all inpatients are discharged,” it added.