Korle Bu doctors threaten to go on strike over 13th Month Salary arrears payment

Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s premier health facility have threatened to withdraw their services following a disagreement with management over the mode of payment of Thirteenth Month Salary arrears.

According to them, if by February 13, 2023, their proposed mode of payment as outlined in a letter to the hospital’s management is not adopted, they will embark on strike action.

They accused the management of the hospital of bad faith in the process of paying the 13th month, which they say is part of their conditions of service.

They argue that the departmental mode of payment which the management is bent on using instead of a centralized one will create unfairness, with doctors working in financially challenged departments being disadvantaged.

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“Management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has exhibited bad faith by failing to meet the agreed deadline on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ghana Medical Association and the Ministry of Health regarding 13th Month Salary payment.

“Management of KBTH refused to heed to the contents of the letter dated 13th December 2022 from Korle Bu Doctors' Association (KODA) not to make any unilateral payment of 25% of the arrears unless a clear- timelines for payment for the rest of the arrears has been agreed upon

“Management of KBTH refused to meet its own deadline of ‘reverting with timelines for the settlement of the outstanding amounts by 27th January, 2023’ as captured in its letter to KODA dated 3rd January 2023,” the doctors said in a statement.

The statement went on further to warn that failure on the part of the management to address their concerns, the doctors “would withdraw service to Out-patient department as well as elective surgeries and procedures. This will commence on 6th February to 10th February, 2023.

“If nothing is heard, from the 13th of February onwards, emergencies would be refused till all inpatients are discharged,” the statement cautioned.

The doctors advised the hospital management to proactively address their issues to prevent being hit by a strike action.

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