Korle Bu Hospital Doctors Threaten Strike Over Unpaid Arrears

Korle Bu Doctors Association ( KODA) are threatening to withdraw their services to the outpatient department and elective surgeries over unpaid arrears. The strike is expected to commence from February 6 to 10, should management fail to come up with clear timelines for payment of 13th-month salary areas.

“Beginning 30th of January to 5th February, 2023, KODA expects management to come out with a clear timelines for the payment of the arrears and to make this payment a centralized one instead of departmental after all, every payment goes into a central pool.  “if nothing is received, KODA members would withdraw service to Out-patient department as well as elective surgeries and procedures.

This will commence on 6th February to 10th February, 2023,”  This was contained in a letter dated January 30 signed by Chairman of the Association, Dr Frank Owusu- Sekyere said if the management fails to meet their demands it will withdraw emergency and other services.

“If nothing is heard, from the l3th of February onwards, emergencies would be refused till all inpatients are discharged,” the statement read. Also, in a separated letter to management, KODA said it has noticed a deliberate attempt to deny doctors in other department from receiving their allowances.

The statement added that although it had asked the administration to halt payment till an agreed date, they had made payment based on department which KODA says it will deny other doctors of benefits. “The Executives of KODA has observed with grave concern the divide-and-rule tactics being employed by central administration in the payment of the arrears of the Thirteenth Month Salary for doctors working in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

“Not only has the communication from KODA not to pay the 25% of the arrears until a clear agreement on the timelines for the remainder of the arrears gone unheeded but this payment seems to have been ceded to the departments instead of payment from a central pool,” it read. Thus, “it is our opinion that by decentralizing the payment, doctors working in financially challenged departments would be disadvantaged.”

The statement further asked management to have an engagement to decide on the way forward rather than impose their decisions on them. “We are also by this letter entreating your office to adopt consensus building approach instead of the take-it-or-leave it approach employed currently. “It is our hope that management will broaden engagement on stakeholders before rolling out policies that affect them,” it added.