Ghana’s anaesthetists on strike putting surgeries in danger

Anaesthetists in Ghana have withdrawn their services for all forms of surgery effective today, Friday, January 31, 2020.

The action by members of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) is in protest against moves by the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) to change their title to Physician Assistants (PA).

“All members of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) are hereby informed that effective Friday, 31st January, 2020, anaesthesia services for all forms of surgery have been withdrawn until further notice”, the Association said in a statement signed by its secretary Frederick Kwame Kporxah.

“The Regional Chairpersons are entreated to ensure strict adherence to this very important exercise in their respective regions”, the statement further indicated.

The Association had earlier accused the Medical and Dental Council of using a “backdoor approach” to change the already existing Bachelor of Science Anaesthesia degree awarded to Certified Registered Anaesthetists.

The Association believes this is a “clear violation of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act 857.”

“The Medical and Dental Council wants to refer to as us Physician Assistants. In fact an Act of Parliament is also telling them that we are certified anaesthetics. But the MDC are trying every possible means to scrap the title. But we are saying the work that we do does not reflect a physician assistant because we don’t assist anybody”, the National Spokesperson of the Association, Seth McAndoh told Dailymailgh in an earlier interview.

“When our name is changed we can’t negotiate for our conditions of service and there will be no recognition for our job. We are hoping that by today the government calls the MDC to halt that decision. If that fails then we will strike”, he further stated.

Similar declaration

Anaesthetists are those qualified to administer anaesthesia, a drug that artificially takes care of pain on or before any surgical operations. They are often nurses whose services are equally important in the field of medicine.

In April 2019, the association embarked on a partial nationwide strike over what they said was the MDC’s attempt to change their title.

The strike was later called off after an agreement with the Ghana Health Service.

The Association threatened another strike from July 8, 2019, due to what the President of the Association, Jacob Wumbei had called government’s failure in respecting the terms of the agreement reached.

“We want to go on a strike because we do not think it is right to take our patients for a ride,” he had said.

The Association however called off its nationwide partial withdrawal of services following an agreement reached with the Ghana Health Service.

Source: Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH