Ho, June 14, GNA - Very few nurses, all in mufti have been providing essential low-level in-patient services at the Ho Municipal Hospital since health workers went on strike last Friday. The Ante-Natal Department was the only department providing outpatient service since the strike began.

Miss Rejoice Amegbe, Midwifery Superintendent at the Department reluctantly told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday that it was a painful decision for the nurses to decide to embark on the strike. She said she had to refer pregnant women who were registered with the Ho Mutual Health Scheme to the Health Insurance desk at the Out-Patient Department (OPD) when they needed medication. Those who had not registered with the Health Insurance Scheme were given prescriptions to go and buy drugs in town.

At the time the Ghana News Agency (GNA) called at the department at about 1100 hours, Miss Amegbe was screening several expectant women. At the female ward nurses who were in mufti, referred the GNA to the Hospital Matron who told the GNA politely that she was in a management meeting and could therefore not grant an interview immediately.

The Children and Male Surgical Wards were locked while a nurse in the Diabetes department told the GNA that nurses on that schedule had been visiting since the beginning of the strike to monitor a diabetic patient on admission.

The female nurse who would not mention her name said they (nurses) were not happy staying away from work.

At the OPD, Mr Light Tornyi, Front Desk Officer of the Ho Mutual Health Scheme told the GNA that some nurses came around briefly Wednesday morning.

He said he was always available at the OPD to refer clients of the Mutual Health Scheme to the Miracle Health Clinic, the only private health facility registered with the scheme.

Mr Tornyi said some Cuban doctors had been coming round to see patients on admission.