Scores of patients seeking Outpatient Department (OPD) services at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi have been left stranded as health workers embarked on a strike effective today, Monday, July 15, 2024.
The strike, initiated by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG), is in response to a call by organized labour.
Patients, some of whom had traveled long distances, arrived at the hospital only to find that healthcare services had been suspended due to the strike action.
Organized labour declared an indefinite strike following the National Pensions Regulatory Authority’s (NPRA) approval allowing the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to proceed with its contentious plan to sell a 60% stake in four hotels to Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City Hotel.
Despite the sustained protests by organized labour leading to the termination of the deal by SSNIT, the unions remain dissatisfied.
Organized labour contends that the current SSNIT board and top management’s involvement in the widely criticized deal highlights significant failures in decision-making and accountability. They believe it demonstrates a clear disconnect from the interests of those they are supposed to represent.
An emergency meeting is currently being held by organized labour to determine the next steps for the nationwide strike. This meeting follows the dramatic developments that ensued after the group’s declaration of industrial action last Friday. Among the issues under consideration is the fate of the management and Board of Directors of SSNIT.
Kenneth Koomson, Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, highlighted the historical contributions of Ghanaian workers to the nation’s independence, emphasizing the significance of the strike. Speaking to Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show, Koomson reiterated that the strike would not be called off until the SSNIT board is dissolved.
“Ghana’s independence wouldn’t have been possible without the involvement of workers, and politicians should know that. The unity displayed on July 12 is just the tip of the iceberg, and going forward, organized labour is going to ensure that the ordinary Ghanaian is well taken care of,” Koomson stated.
He further explained that today’s emergency meeting would review SSNIT’s letter announcing the termination of the hotel deal and decide on the future course of action.
“We thought it was important to assemble today to review the letter from SSNIT and then take a decision. Today will be a day to communicate to the public where we stand and an announcement will be made afterwards,” Koomson added.