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The Select Committee on Health in Parliament has expressed disappointment at the strike action embarked upon by laboratory scientists.
According to the Committee, it expected the group to approach Parliament for the House to take up the matter with the Minister for Health, especially considering the engagement it had with them during consideration of the Teaching Hospitals Amendment Act.
The Committee urged them to therefore suspend their strike action, return to duty and then formally petition Parliament to enable the House to find an amicable solution to their grievance.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie addressed the media in Parliament on Thursday 27th May 2021 together with the Ranking Member, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
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He noted that the harsh effect of the strike would eventually fall on the less endowed and vulnerable constituents who have no means of paying for their diagnosis at a private laboratory.
He said, “We are disappointed that on a major issue such as this they failed to petition the Health Committee to discuss the matter.”
“We represent the people and are absolutely independent so if they have frustrations with certain CEO, a teaching hospital, or Minister, we provide oversight responsibility in this sector.”
“There is a third party and that is the very Health Committee that lobbied for their interest to be represented on the Teaching Hospital Amendment Act. That is a milestone achievement because it never happened in the annals of this country,” he added.
Dr. Nana Ayew expressed worry the laboratory scientists chose to proceed on strike without involving Parliament or the Committee and lamented that lives that would be lost would be irreplaceable.
He urged them to suspend the strike and return to work and then petition the Committee. He pledged they will get all stakeholders involved to address the impasse.
The Ranking Member and MP for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, expressed disappointment that the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has not stepped into the matter and allowed it to spread from Komfo Anokye across the entire country.
“If something like this is happening, it is not about road map as being claimed by Minister. We need to meet those concerned and listened to their grievances,” he said.
He urged the laboratory scientist workers to suspend the strike and then meet the Committee and indicated they will take the necessary steps to address the issue peacefully.
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Frontpageghana.com/Ghana
