Nurses at the West Gonja Catholic Hospital in Damongo, the Savannah
regional capital have called off their over-week-long sit-down strike
after several appeals.
The nurses and health workers who were hesitant to reconsider their
strike action eventually paid heed to an appeal from the District Health
Directorate to resume full duties whilst steps are being taken to
address their grievances.
The nurses and health workers after a general meeting, resolved to call
off their industrial action, noting that,”….the services that were
suspended i.e. passing of intravenous lines, taking of sample to the
laboratory and catheterization have been restored”.
Nurses and health workers at the West Gonja Hospital declared a sit-down
strike on 1st July 2019, following what they described, failure by
management to meet their demand for improved working conditions.
They justified their action with what they christened, ‘failure by
management to meet their demanded “negotiable 10% of basic salary as
monthly allowances” starting from January 2019, for which reason an
earlier intended strike was called off.
The nurses and health workers under the leadership of the local branches
of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association(GRNMA) and the
Health Service Workers Union(HSWU) have also tendered a petition
demanding the immediate resignation of Mr.Remy Nyewie as Health Service
Administrator and Rev. Sr. Mary Zaagbeb as the Nurse Manager over what
they conceive the duos “poor interpersonal relationship with workers,
abuse of office & verbal abuse of staff, poor leadership skills
inter alia”.
An ensuing official letter dated,3rd July,2019, admonished the Health
Service Administrator and Nurse Manager to stay away from work starting
Monday 8th July 2019, adding that, “We would be compelled to lock up
your offices if you do not willingly stay away from office”.
In a startling turn of events however, some disgruntled nurses of the
hospital revealed in a counter petition that, they were misled, deceived
and misinformed into appending their signatures to the petition from
the local branches of the GRNMA and the HSWU demanding the removal from
office of the Health Service Administrator and the Nurse Manager.
They said they were flimflammed by union leaders into signing the
petition to indicate their support for a negotiable 10% of their basic
salary as monthly allowance only to realise their collated signatures
were being used under mysterious conditions to demand the removal of the
Administrator and the Nurse manager and to “cover up their ungodly
acts”.
They further hold the view that their fundamental human rights and
dignity have been trampled upon, calling on My Lord Bishop, as the owner
of the hospital to as a matter of urgency come to their aid so that the
hospital can continue with the Healing Ministry of Christ.
Msgr. Tawoni Augustine, the Vica General of the Diocese of Damongo in a
management meeting with the nurses urged them to remain calm,adding
that,the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the hospital, Most Rev. Peter
Paul Angyier, who has the power to direct all affairs in the hospital
was currently out of the country attending to other equally important
official duties.
Meanwhile, Ghanaweb’s Ananpansah B Abraham has gathered that a total
cash sum of GHC146,800 has been disbursed to clear Diocesan Allowance
owed nurses from the year 2013 to 2018, with 2019 still in arrears.
The Diocesan Allowance was instituted in the year 2012.
On promotions and study leave for nurses, in 2014; out of staff strength
of 34, two were promoted and 15 went on study leave. In 2015; out of 26
nurses, nine were duly promoted whilst 12 went for further studies. In
2016, 55 nurses were at post, six got promotion whilst nine went for
further studies. In 2017, the hospital had 75 nurses at post, seven got
promotion and four went on study leave. In 2018, the staff-nurse
strength was 78; out of which four were on study leave and two had
promotion and in 2019; 115 nurses are currently at post, out of which 19
have so far being promoted, seven are on study leave and about 17
nurses have been processed for study leave awaiting admission.
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