The Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Leslie Issah Adam-Zakaria, has disclosed the significant disruption caused by the strike of nurses affiliated with the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
In an interview with JoyNews on Thursday, June 5, Dr. Adam-Zakaria stated that the hospital has been greatly impacted by the cessation of services, particularly in critical departments.
“The nurses at the hospital are members of various associations. Most of them are part of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), and regrettably, they are the ones participating in the strike,” he explained.
He noted that the strike has resulted in a shortage of nurses across nearly all departments in the hospital. “Currently, we lack nurses in the different OPDs, and there are no nurses on duty. The emergency unit is fragmented, and the section that admits new patients is without nurses on duty.
“In the operating theatres where we conduct emergency procedures, we also do not have nurses available. The antenatal clinics, which cater to pregnant women, are without midwives on duty. Additionally, the labor wards, where women come to deliver, are lacking nurses on duty,” he added.
Dr. Adam-Zakaria mentioned that the absence of nurses has compelled doctors to take on both their usual responsibilities and those of the striking nurses. “The issue we are encountering is that doctors must perform some of the nurses’ tasks. We do not have rotation nurses to assist us because they cannot operate unsupervised, so they are not present,” he stated.
He further explained, “The rotation nurses are akin to national service personnel who are meant to work under supervision. If we were to bring them here alone, it would mean they would be working without oversight since their supervisors are on strike. Therefore, it is unfortunate that they are hesitant to work unsupervised.
Source: HotFmOnline.com
Do you have a story to share? Send it to our editorial team at editor@hotfmonline.com
