Authorities at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are instituting measures to mitigate effects of on-going industrial action by pharmacists. Pharmacies at the hospital remain closed, but directorates have emergency drugs to supply to patients. Sources close to management told Nhyira FM in Kumasi officials anticipate the pharmacists’ strike will have minimal effect on health delivery. Notices of ‘strike action’, ‘no work’ and ‘pharmacy closed’ have been posted at the entrances of the about eight pharmacies at the hospital. None of them including the one inside the Emergency Center are operational. Unlike the usually large crowd of patients at the Polyclinic Pharmacy, there are empty chairs today which tells it all. Patients appear to have had information about the unavailability of the pharmacists. Hospital officials say both labour wards and theater of the Obstetrics and Gynecology, Accident and Emergency Center and other emergency areas have drug supplies. This means patients who need routine drugs would have to look elsewhere outside the hospital for them. A frustrated man who can’t get drugs for his sick child told this reporter the situation calls for immediate attention. His son who was on admission at the hospital was expected to undergo surgery to correct a deformity and was left with no option than to buy drugs which could have been supplied by the hospital from outside. “Look at this, even though I have NHIS card, I still have to buy the drug from outside the hospital. Some of us are lucky to have the resources to buy the drugs from outside. Imagine someone who has no money to afford the drugs”, he asked. Meanwhile, management has scheduled an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the pharmacists’ action.