News:
May 27, 2021
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Health has appealed to the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) to return to work to help save lives, adding that lives lost is irreplaceable.
In a joint press briefing addressed by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, and Kwabena Minta Akandoh respectively, they noted that it is only the poor, who cannot afford to pay at the private facilities that will bear the brunt of the strike, while the rich seeks private facilities when the need of laboratory services arise.
The leadership of the Committee noted that though they have not been petitioned, the total withdrawal of service by the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists is of public interest hence their resolve to appeal to the striking professionals to resume work.
According to Dr. Ayew Afriye, they have worked very hard with stakeholders; and in line with their standing orders, they are able to take petitions and work to satisfy public interest.
“We have worked with the laboratory scientist just last year before the Act was passed, the new Teaching Hospital Amendment Act, very often they had thought stakeholders didn’t want them to be present on the teaching hospital boards, when all their part ways of lobbying was exhausted, they fell on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health.
We listened to them, and we saw the need to support them to be represented on the board in the form of allied health science representation, and they would do rotation as and when they understand and put arrangements in place”.
The Chairman said they are therefore disappointed that “on a major issue as this, they would not come to the Health Committee to discuss with us, because we represent the people and absolutely independent; so if you have frustrations with a CEO in a certain teaching hospital that we provide oversight for, If you have frustration with a certain minister that we provide oversight responsibility in his sector, then there could be a third party, the very third party as the Health Committee that lobbied for your interest to be represented; and that’s a milestone achievement because it has never happened since the Annals of this country, and then they would go and proceed on strike without involving us, we are worried.
The leadership has therefore, invited them to meet the Select Committee on Health, saying, “we’ve been there for them before, and we can be there for them, and we are ready to listen to them even when they think there’s a deadlock, and there’s no hope, we can give them hope.
This strike is not about condition of service, and that is normally the legendary reasons for strike, this is about issues we consider as important, however, should not affect the lives of our constituents”.
The Committee said they are ready to engage them and all stakeholders to find a middle ground.
The Ranking Member expressed disappointment in the Health Minister, for not taking steps to avert a nationwide strike when it first started at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital more than a week.
He called on all stakeholders in the health sector to respect each other as all of the professionals provide special services in health delivery.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com