General News of Thursday, 23 November 2017
Source: classfmonline.com
2017-11-23
Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu
Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has said that his ministry will resolve the unrest at the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital.
“I believe we can resolve these matters, it is not a matter of service condition issues, it is a matter of personality clash with the Chief Executive of the place…we will meet with them and I believe we can resolve the matter amicably,” he said on Thursday, 23 November during a meet-the-press session in Accra.
Nurses at the hospital had said they will begin an indefinite sit-down strike to demand the immediate removal of their Medical Director (MD) Dr. Eugene Dordoye.
The nurses have leveled allegations of human rights abuse, conflict of interest and misappropriation of funds against Dr. Dordoye.
The strike follows the expiration of a three-day ultimatum issued by the staff for the Health Ministry to sack the MD.
The management of the hospital, ahead of today’s strike, began a mass premature discharge of its mental patients.
In an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, 21 November, the In-charges of the various wards were ordered to discharge as many patients as they could, so that the strike will not have much effect on the workforce.
Public Relations Officer of the Ankaful Psychiatric hospital, Emmanuel Ofori, speaking to Class news, said they simply want Dr. Dordoye out.
He said: “We’ll not be working as stated. The president of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association Dr. Asante Krobea has given us the green light for the strike. Currently, it is going to be Ankaful nurses alone on strike but Pantang and Accra Psychiatric hospitals have assured us that if the Health Minister does not listen to our plea, then they are going to join our strike next week. All we seek is that they should remove our hospital director Dr. Dordoye from the facility so we can have a new hospital director…”
