Doctors strike: 3 die at Korle-Bu

Three people have been confirmed dead at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra following a strike action declared by doctors across the country.

There was no doctor to attend to the health care needs of the patients when they were brought to the Out Patient Department of the hospital, Saturday, Joy News' Hannah Odame reported.

They died few hours after they were brought in, Odame added.

The doctors have vacated the consulting rooms in protest over the absence of a condition of service document that will guide their occupation.

A planned meeting with government officials and stakeholders to negotiate and agree on a roadmap for a comprehensive conditions of service document ended in a deadlock as doctors remained resolute in having a chunk of their proposals accepted by government.

Part of their demands included 40% of basic salaries as accommodation allowance per month, 20 percent as core duty facilitation allowance, 30% clothing allowance, 20% maintenance allowance, 20% utility allowance, 50% as professional allowance and 25 special risk allowance and vehicle tax exemption to doctors.

The proposal has been condemned severally by government spokespersons some of whom have described the demands as outrageous.

Even though the doctors have made some compromises nothing concrete has been reached thus far, and the doctors are still out of the consulting rooms threatening to resign en masse if their demands are not met.

Their strike is having a toll on the hospitals across the country with some disastrous consequences.

Hannah Odame confirmed at the Mortuary the death of the three persons.

One of the deceased persons is said to be a Muslim, and so the family took away the body shortly after his death.

A nurse at the hospital told Hannah Odame the three may have survived if doctors were available to take care of the patients.

A relative of one of the deceased persons is said to be considering legal action against the hospital.

The OPD has meanwhile been deserted, Monday as the strike continues unabated, Odame reported.