General News of Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

No nurse at Ridge Hospital Coronavirus Treatment Center as GRNMA strike bites

The duty boycott by the nurses, midwives, and other service providers commenced on September 21 play videoThe duty boycott by the nurses, midwives, and other service providers commenced on September 21

Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Srofenyo, has revealed that his outfit’s COVID-19 treatment center has no nurses due to the ongoing strike action.

Scores of patients have been abandoned at government healthcare facilities across the country following a strike by some health workers over poor conditions of service.

The duty boycott by the nurses, midwives, and other service providers commenced on Monday, September 21, 2020.

Speaking to GhanaWeb, Dr. Srofenyo said the strike action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has rendered doctors taking on responsibilities of nurses at the Coronavirus treatment unit.

“We currently have doctors treating COVID-19 patients at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital but there are no nurses. The doctors are taking extra responsibilities. This situation is unsustainable.

“The nurses are very critical members of the health team; their roles are critical so there is no way that we can sustainably run this hospital without their assistance”.

Dr Srofenyo also called on government to pay heed to the request of the nurses and midwives to cut short the strike.

“The strike action is already having a big toll on us. When you go to the emergency, you see that the doctors are left alone, receiving new patients, managing emergencies and the same doctors will have to come and nurse the patients.”

“This is a very serious situation so the government must step up and address their concerns,” he told GhanaWeb.