Wa, May 11, GNA - The authorities at the Upper West Regional Hospital at Wa have instituted measures to punish recalcitrant workers who would want to take advantage of the recent strike action by health workers to stay at home, Dr Abebrese Jacob, Medical Director of the Hospital has warned.

He said even though the health workers' group had called off its one-week industrial action on Thursday, some of its members had since not yet reported to work, pointing out that the Hospital authorities would take a roll call in all its units and bring such recalcitrant workers to book.

"When it is going on strike, it is done spontaneously but when the strike is called off and workers are asked to resume duty, there is always feet dragging among them and this cannot be tolerated", he warned.

Dr Jacob, who was speaking to the GNA in an interview in Wa on Friday about the strike action and its impact on the Hospital and patients said workers who had refused to report to duty should know that their offence was an individual one and not that of their association. The Regional Hospital recorded 28 deliveries, 25 of them normal and three through Caesarean operations during the striking period. "Our Out Patient Department (OPD) also recorded 148 patients within the same period as against an average of 100 patients it registered daily before the strike", Dr Jacob said, adding: "Perhaps many patients have stayed at home with their sicknesses and are yet to come to the Hospital".

Meanwhile, normal work is going on at all the departments of the Hospital. Nurses and other paramedic workers were in their uniforms and were attending to patients.