By Nadia Ntiamoah
The Junior Doctors’ Association of Ghana (JDA-GH) has announced a nationwide strike over what it describes as persistent neglect and unfair treatment by the government, after many of its members have gone for more than a year without pay.
In a strongly worded statement issued over the weekend, and jointly signed by the association’s president, Dr. (Med) Louis Aja Nkrumah, and general secretary, Dr. (Med) Rhoda Wun-nam Amadu, the doctors revealed that more than 200 of their colleagues have been working between 10 to 14 months without receiving a single salary.
Others who were previously on payroll have seen their wages suddenly stopped without explanation, further compounding their financial and professional frustrations.
The Roots of the Crisis
The strike is the latest in a string of industrial actions within the health sector over delayed salaries and poor conditions of service.
In recent years, nurses, midwives, and allied health workers have staged demonstrations to demand months of unpaid wages, often blaming bureaucratic bottlenecks at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
For junior doctors, however, the situation has been particularly dire. Apart from salary arrears, the association says over 800 medical graduates remain unposted more than a year and four months after completing their mandatory housemanship.
This has left many stranded, unemployed, and unable to contribute to the country’s overstretched health system.
The JDA-GH insists it has made several attempts to resolve the matter through dialogue with the Ministry of Health and other government agencies, but says these engagements have “yielded nothing but empty promises.”
Phased Strike To Disrupt Health Services
According to the association, the strike will unfold in phases.
Beginning Tuesday, October 7, all outpatient services will be suspended across public health facilities for three days.
If the government fails to address their grievances by then, the action will escalate to include emergency services from Friday, October 10, until further notice.
The JDA clarified that while patients already admitted will continue to receive care until discharge, no new admissions will be taken during the period.
This partial shutdown of services is expected to place enormous pressure on the country’s fragile healthcare delivery system, especially in rural and deprived areas where junior doctors form the backbone of medical care.
Responsibility Placed On Government
The doctors have laid the blame squarely at the doorstep of the government and the Ministry of Health, accusing them of exploiting young medical professionals who dedicate their lives to saving others while struggling to survive.
“The continued exploitation of our members can no longer be tolerated,” the statement read.
“The government must bear full responsibility for any disruptions to healthcare delivery arising from this strike.”
