Today, July 12, workers of the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital will embark on a peaceful street protest to register their displeasure about the activities of some encroachers of the hospital’s lands which they say is posing as a security threat to both staff and patients of the hospital.

The Head of Staff at the hospital, Elvis Akuamoah, last week made the intentions of the hospital clear. They stated that they were going to embark on a sit-down strike on Monday, July 10 which was going to see the suspension of OPD and non-emergency services.

As announced, patients to the hospital were left stranded as workers were nowhere to be found to attend to them. Elvis Akuamoah had earlier announced a deadline date of July 12 for the hospital to embark on a street protest if their calls for assistance heeded no positive response.

In light of this, the facility is scheduled to shut down today to the general public despite news of a visit from the Health Minister.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, the Head of Staff of the aggrieved workers indicated that he had not requested to receive the Minister of Health but wanted the encroachers to be stopped; a clear indication that they were going to embark on the protest despite the new developments.

He also indicated that they had not received any formal notice to acknowledge their displeasure when it was made earlier. The protest was scheduled to begin at 9 A.M today.

It is believed that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has launched full scale enquiry into the encroachment claims made by the hospital.