Public Health Services face a total shutdown in the coming days as the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) urges its members to follow a roadmap to a nationwide strike called by Organised Labour.

The roadmap prescribes the complete withdrawal of all services – from Out-Patient Department care to Emergency Services, culminating in the total withdrawal of all services by July 22.

Labour’s strike action, declared on Friday, July 12, 2024, is in protest against the approved sale of 60 percent stake in some four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust.

The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has okayed the controversial plan to offload the 60% stake in the four hotels – Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel and Elmina Beach Resor- to Rock City Hotel owned by Food and Agriculture Minister, Bryan Acheampong.

Per the GMA’s roadmap issued and signed by its leaders- Dr. (Med) Frank Screbour, President, and Dr. (Dent) Richard Selormey, General Secretary, GMA members are to withdraw Out Patient Department (OPD) services from 15th - 17th July, 2024. It will be followed by the withdrawal of Emergency Services from 18th to 21st July, 2024. Then from 22nd July, 2024 – will see the total withdrawal of “ALL services.”

Labour has called for the total cancellation of the plan to sell off the 60% stake, as it is not in the interest of Ghanaian workers, and has consequently asked all workers to stay away from work beginning Monday, July 15.

Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, speaking on behalf of Organised Labour, said in Accra that workers do not understand why the NPRA would sanction SSNIT to proceed with the deal without further engagement after the NPRA initially ordered SSNIT to halt the process.

“From Monday 15 of July 2024, all workers in Ghana must not go to work until SSNIT publicly announces the termination of the process for the sale of its shares in the hotels.”