Anaesthetists threaten nationwide strike from December 1 over unresolved concerns

The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) has warned that its members will embark on an industrial strike from December 1, 2026, if the government fails to address longstanding concerns affecting their profession and the delivery of anaesthesia services.

The association says repeated appeals to the government over the past 4 years to resolve challenges confronting its members have yielded little response.

GACRA President James Nwinsagra disclosed this while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the association’s 8th Annual General Meeting in Accra.

He raised concerns about the declining number of practising anaesthetists in the country, revealing that the workforce had dropped from 1,200 to 582.

According to him, the reduction has placed the delivery of anaesthesia services under serious pressure, making urgent government intervention necessary to prevent further deterioration.

Mr Nwinsagra called for increased investment in training institutions and infrastructure to expand the country's capacity to produce more professionals and address the growing shortage.

He stressed that the association was not eager to embark on industrial action but could be left with no alternative if the government continued to ignore its concerns.

“It is not deliberate to go on strike. Anaesthesia has faced a lot of challenges. We are in a crisis in Ghana, and the employer hasn’t actually paid much attention to our needs and the issues we have been raising.

“This has been going on for over four years. We have submitted petitions and taken other steps, but our concerns have not received the needed attention. Maybe this is the only language they will pay attention to when it comes to anaesthesia services,” he said.