General News of Monday, 20 August 2001

Source: GNA

Tema nurses still on strike

Striking nurses at the Tema General Hospital are demanding an apology from Dr Charity Brako, Medical Superintendent, who was posted there from the Ridge Hospital about two months ago.

A source close to the hospital told the Ghana News Agency that a resolution presented by the nurses to the management complained about the poor human relations of Dr Brako.

She was alleged to have told the nurses at the beginning of the strike action: "They can go to hell!"

The strike started as a result of non-payment of additional duty hours allowance for May, June and July. The Management made arrangements to pay that of May last Wednesday but the nurses insisted that that of June should also be paid before they rescind their decision.

The strike action is having serious impact on the sick in Tema since they are compelled to seek treatment at private hospitals and clinics.

The Out Patients' Department was empty when the Ghana News Agency visited the Hospital yesterday, (Sunday) even though, there were doctors in the consulting rooms.

Only a few patients were on admission at the wards, the Doctors having been compelled to discharge most of them. The few patients were being attended to by Senior Nurses, who said they had to run a 12-hour shift.

Efforts to get Dr Brako to comment on plans to resolve the situation and get health care delivery to the people of Tema restored, proved futile.