Korle-Bu Must Resolve Standoff Between GMA And Bio-Medical Staff

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is asking the management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to intervene in an impasse between its members and bio-medical scientists at the facility.

Doctors with the GMA claim they have received both physical and verbal threats from the bio-medical scientists.

They are also accusing the bio-medics of barring them from performing their duties at the various laboratories at the hospital, thus hindering the delivery of quality health care.

In a Citi News interview, the Chairman of the Greater Accra division of the GMA, Dr. Ernest Yorke, revealed they will be forced to go to all lengths to protect their members if management does not call the bio-medical scientists to order.

He said, “This is getting to a head and it will come to a situation where something drastic might happen.”

Dr. Yorke says the worst of it was when a Laboratory Manager issued an instruction to its members not to visit the facility until all issues are resolved.

“This was what broke the camel’s back; they received a verbal instruction from one of the laboratory managers that they should not step foot in the hospital till we get all those issues resolved.”

Dr Yorke called on the management of Korle-Bu to intervene since the current unhealthy relationship is affecting the training of doctors.

“This is impunity at the highest level. I think that management of the hospital must wake up, the board must wake up because the doctors they are sending to be trained are not being trained; and they are staying at home because someone said you cannot work here.”

The Korle-bu Central Laboratory Manager, Dr Ahmed Mashud, has however refuted reports bio-medical personnel are restricting doctors from using the laboratories.

 “No, it’s not true because no one can have the power to prevent someone from entering the lab. The laboratory is opened 24 hours a week. People are welcome to the lab, people are here to work,” he assured.

The latest report comes on the back of demands by nurses and Senior Staff of the hospital for the resignation of the hospital CEO following accusations that he is mismanaging the facility.

Among other things, he has been accused of using internally generated funds amounting to over GHc100 million to pay judgment debts.