Health Committee Of Parliament To Meet Minister Over Lab Scientists Strike
Parliament’s health committee is scheduled to meet with the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, today Tuesday, June 1 over the strike action by members of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS).
The meeting is expected to have in attendance as well representatives of all stakeholders in this matter.
It is aimed at resolving the issues as the Committee says it has taken note of the “fact that patients, particularly those who require laboratory tests, have been left stranded due to the protest by GAMLS which has now escalated into an impasse between the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and GAMLS”.
A letter inviting the Minister to the meeting also demanded the presence of the Chief Director, the Director of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Director of Human Resource at the Ministry.
“I am also directed by the Honorable Chairman [of the Committee], to kindly request the Ministry to extend an invitation to the management and representative of the teaching hospitals, the Ghana Medical Association (Society of Laboratory Physicians Ghana), the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, the Society of Medical Laboratory Managers Ghana, the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency and the College of Physicians and Surgeons (Faculty of Laboratory Medicine),” the letter issued by the Assistant Clerk of the Committee said.
Meanwhile, Lab scientists at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi yesterday defied a court order directing them to end their strike action and resume work.
All labs at the hospital remained locked despite the court injunction secured by the National Labour Commission (NLC) on Friday for them to go back to work
PRO for the hospital, Kwame Frimpong, confirming the development said: “They are still not back to the office but I’m unable to make any official comment on it because management will soon meet. Currently, we are sending our samples to public and private labs as a way to mitigate the impact of the strike.”
But the Executive Secretary for the NLC, Ofosu Asamoah, said the Commission is yet to receive an official statement from the region about the decision by the agitating lab scientists not to resume work.
He explained that if it turns out to be true, sanctions will be applied against the lab scientists.
“In any case, if it is true that they have refused to go to work the consequences are clearly stated in the law so that will be the way forward. The first one is with their employer to either terminate their employment without notice or to withhold their salaries for the period they have refused to work.
“The third is that the commission can apply to the court to cite them for contempt.”
By: Stella Annan |myactiveonline.com
