Doctors at Korle Bu threaten strike over threats, abuse from biomedical scientists

Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have served notice to government of their intention to withdraw all services to protest what they call threats and abuse at the hands of biomedical scientists at the facility.

The doctors claim the biomedical scientists have been threatening them both physically and verbally.

They also accused the biomedical scientists of preventing them from entering and practicing their profession at the various laboratories at the hospital.

Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Justice Yankson in an interview with Joy News said the attitude of the biomedical scientists is ridiculous.

“Laboratory physicians who are doctors and have gone into that specialist area of medical practice ought to be given the freehand to practice their profession.

“They have been in the hospital all this while so we find it a bit preposterous that suddenly biomedical scientists - most of whom were even thought by these same medical doctors who are specialist in laboratory science and have worked in some instances for 20 or more years with the hospital – suddenly these biomedical scientists are saying the lab belongs to them and the doctors have no space at all in that facility,” Dr Yankson said.

The attitude of the biomedical scientists in Dr Yankson’s view is wrong, adding “this is clear impunity.”

He called on the management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and government must intervene now or risk severe consequences.

“Our biggest problem is the safety of both life and property of the medical doctors. We are telling the management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as well as the ministry of health that the safety of our members is paramount to us.

“This act of intimidation, threat – both verbal and physical assaults – should cease. We will treat an attack on any single medical doctor in that facility as an attack on the entire medical association and we will have no option than to bring the full force of the association to bear and will include asking our members to cease all services completely”.

The management of the Korle Bu teaching hospital is yet to respond to the GMA’s threat of a strike.