The Ghana Physician Assistants Association has asked its members to resume work on Wednesday after the Physician Assistant connected to the death of four persons at the New Senchi Health Centre, Simon Takrama, was granted bail by a Koforidua High Court.
Addressing the media shortly after the court granted the bail, the acting General Secretary of the Association, Peter Eyram Kuenyefu, said “we are directing all Physician Assistants nationwide to resume work tomorrow [Wednesday], April 18, 2018, while the leadership of the Association engages the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other agencies on the way forward.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”dy1fxzLDr17cOLE7I5ySrNSl3abDGlZn”]The Association also called on the government to address other concerns about their conditions of service or risk facing another strike.
“The Association will not hesitate to resort to another strike when efforts are not made to resolve the numerous issues presented to the ministry over the years, which include job description, physician’s assistant intern’s allowances, conditions of service [and the issue of the ] appointment of Physician Assistants as sub-district heads,” Mr. Kuenyefu said.
Simon Takrama was arrested alongside James Yeboah, a retired Disease Control Officer who administered the said contaminated injection.
The Association started the strike only last Friday in protest of the arrest which they deemed unfair.
Background
Mr. Takrama had been in prison custody for about two weeks, and his incarceration sparked the protests from physician assistants nationwide.
The Ghana Physician Assistants Association subsequently declared a nationwide sit-down strike on Monday after claims of a cover-up.
They cited the fact that the Ghana Health Service identified James Yeboah, as the one who administered the contaminated injections to the patients, leading to the deaths.
The Health Service also said James Yeboah was operating without authorization.
The Ghana Physician Assistants Association also said, their colleague, who was posted to the facility only about six months ago, complained to the Asuogyaman District Health Director, Aziz Abdullai Abdul about the activities of the disease control officer, but nothing was done about him.
The Food and Drugs Authority in its preliminary investigations indicated that the deaths might have been caused by the contaminated medication.
The FDA noted that the deceased persons suffered adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths.
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By: Neil Amatey Kanarku/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
