Managers of the Korle Bu Hospital appear to have two major crises to deal with - how to get striking lab scientists back to work and also get the dismissed but defiant director of administration off their backs. The Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists declared a nationwide strike on Wednesday to protest what they say are discrepancies and distortions in their migration onto the new pay policy. In the Ashanti region, the Pathology unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has been shutdown following the strike. On Friday, patients visiting the central laboratory of Korle Bu were turned away. Joy News Francisca Kakra Forson, who visited the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, reported that although a few laboratory technicians were on duty, they were merely issuing results of medical tests to patients – no new cases are being accepted. She said the hospital faces imminent danger because the strike is greatly affecting the blood bank which is hampering the smooth operation of the country’s premier hospital. “The work of the blood bank has really been crippled,” Tetteh Carboo the national donor services manager confirmed on Joy FM. President of the Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists Prince Sodoke Amuzu says all they want is to meet with the Ministry of Health or the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to quickly address their grievances. “We are very, very worried. We have not done this before, we are not used to strike action, we don’t like strike action.” Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission George Smith Graham, told Joy News the Commission cannot meet splinter groups. “If they are coming with their mother union, I am ok and I am comfortable, we will sit down and meet; but I am very uncomfortable meeting with the association [of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists] alone.” He said he had discussed the issue with their mother union and the Ministry of Health on Friday, and have arranged for a meeting on Saturday “to see what can be done”. Meanwhile there was confusion at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital between the board chairman and the hospital’s director of administration, Nelson Menorkpor, who was dismissed by the board for poor performance. He has, however, ignored this action, reporting to work but his office has been under lock and key three days now. Two members of the board have also sworn an affidavit telling a High Court in Accra that no decision was taken by the board to revoke the appointment of Nelson Menorkpor. One of them Stella Quaye confronted the CEO at his office with journalists, which resulted in a nasty confrontation. Meanwhile, the board and management of the Korle Bu Hospital have issued a statement assuring the general public that there was no tension at the hospital contrary to media reports. They said the dismissed Director of Administration’s action seeking to restrain the board from interfering with his work, has been thrown out by the court. While the hospital is awaiting the determination of the substantive case in court, they assured the public the hospital is still running and normal business is going on. Play the attached audio to listen to the near fight