The National Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA), Seth McAndoh, has intimated that all the stakeholders are happy with the agreement leading to its strike suspension.

The GACRA Public Relations Officer averred that after an extensive engagement with the Health Ministry, they have decided to suspend the strike action.

“So we have suspended the strike and all our members are going back to work due to the fact that we have had extensive engagement with all the stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, Christian Health Association of Ghana, Medical and Dental Council, the Ghana Health Service and all the other agencies, and per the agreement that we had, all the stakeholders are happy, and we are also happy”.
Seth McAndoh

Seth McAndoh stated that as the Association has suspended the strike, it believes everything that has been agreed upon will be done.

The members of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) suspended its 5-day strike.

A statement signed by GACRA’s President and general secretary respectively, James Nwinsagra and Frederick Kporxah, stated that, “Following an agreement reached between leadership of the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) and stakeholders in a meeting held on 5 January 2022 at the conference room of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Accra, the withdrawal of anaesthesia services embarked upon by GACRA has been suspended with immediate effect”.

The Association, has therefore, directed all the CRA’s to return to work to provide anaesthesia services to the good people of Ghana.

According to the statement by the Association, a taskforce has been constituted with terms of reference in relation to the concerns tabled by GACRA and a timeline of six months for the taskforce to complete and submit its recommendations for implementation by the MOH.

“As law abiding professionals, leadership has agreed to allow the MOH to see to the amicable resolution and bring the matter to its logical conclusion within the stipulated time as resolved by the meeting”.
Seth McAndoh

CRA’s cautioned

The statement then cautioned all Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRAs) to continue to strictly adhere to the Infection Prevention and Control measures as they return to the facilities to discharge their professional duties.

“This is to ensure safety in the surge of the new variant of the covid-19 virus infection”.
CRA

The Association had been on strike since January 1, 2022 over what it described as the expiration of the license of its members. However, the group has refused to renew it’s license as it says it has parted ways with the Medical and Dental Council for its failure to champion the cause of anesthetics over the years.

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital, also known as the Ridge Hospital, in Accra prior to the suspension reportedly reduced elective surgeries from 25 on daily basis to 4 during the 3-day strike of the certified registered anesthetists.

Medical Director of the facility, Dr. Emmanuel Srofenyo indicated that they were focusing only on emergencies and maternity until the striking anesthetists resume work.

Ahead of the suspension of the strike it was reported that only two doctor anesthetists were on duty out of the 23 main force of anesthetists at the facility. Aside the elective surgeries, on a daily basis the facility conducts 10 emergency surgeries and between 12 to 15 maternal surgeries.