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The Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) has declared an indefinite strike with immediate effect.
This decision follows an emergency general assembly meeting over the treatment of the doctors at the Emergency unit of the hospital during the visit by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini and subsequent dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr. Adam Atiku.
DATTH has proceeded on an indefinite suspension of all emergency and outpatient services (General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, Paediatrics OPD)
Inpatient care shall continue for clients currently on admission until they are safely discharged from the hospital.
They have therefore demanded an unqualified apology from the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini to Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa, all doctors of the hospital and staff of the Accident and Emergency department.
“We shall resume the provision of emergency and outpatient services after we receive appropriate apologies.”
They demanded a constant flow of water through the taps for clinical work, a stable electricity supply in the hospital, a constant supply of oxygen, and the provision of consumable items such as gloves, gauze, cotton, face masks, cannulae, syringes, disinfectants, glucometer strips, plaster, constant supply of reagents to ensure continuous availability of essential laboratory tests within the hospital.
Other demands include 100 continuous vital signs monitoring devices for all high-dependency units in the hospital, four ventilators at the accident and emergency department, four ventilators at the intensive care unit, two ventilators at the pediatric emergency ward, two ventilators at the neonatal intensive care unit, two ventilators at the maternal intensive care unit, two transport incubators at the obstetrics and gynecology department, service and repair the 1000L autoclave machines at the CSSD, an MRI scan machine that does not use helium, ACT scan machine that has an infusion pump, a mammography machine, fluoroscopy machine, a C-arm machine at the main theater, ABG machines in all intensive care units of the hospital and one at the accident and emergency department, two mobile X-ray machines.
DATTH assured that they will continue to engage management to ensure that the aforementioned demands are available for healthcare delivery.
“We shall advise ourselves if there is failure to achieve the above within the shortest possible time. Should any of our members feel threatened at any point in the provision of services within the hospital, they shall immediately remove themselves from such hostile environment for their safety.”
The Tamale Teaching Hospital brouhaha commenced when a patient Bavug Salim passed away over an alleged negligence by health workers at the facility resulting in the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale