Laboratory staff of the Upper West Regional Hospital have declared an indefinite strike in protest against the absence of logistics and other working materials at the facility.
A letter signed by Kanpki Thea, the Manager of the laboratory said ” the laboratory staff have decided to lay down their tools and hand over the keys of the lab to management with effect from 13th November 2018″.
The workers explained that “coming to work and doing nothing because of the unavailability of reagents is more or less tantamount to sitting at home without coming to work.”
They cited the non-availability of an electrolyte analyzer, water bath and distilling plants as well as reagents and sitting chairs as unbefitting of a regional laboratory, and pledged not to return to work until such tools are provided.
Citi News visited the laboratory and can report that the facility was locked, with a red band tied at the entrance.
The Management of the hospital were in a meeting and said they would only comment after the meeting.
However, Citi News can report that the situation is impacting negatively on both patients and caretakers at the hospital.
29-year-old Baton Nasiri, whose brother was referred from Tumu in the Sissala East District, in an interview said he was compelled to seek the services of a private laboratory before his brother could be attended to.
“We were here since yesterday [Tuesday], but the doctor could not attend to my brother because we could not do the test, so this morning someone directed me to go and do it outside”.
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citinewsroom
