BY Grace Zigah
The Korle Bu Doctors Association (KODA) has announced plans to embark on an industrial strike effective May 4, 2026, following what it describes as unsuccessful engagements with management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital over longstanding operational and policy concerns.
The decision, according to KODA, comes after months of negotiations and correspondence that failed to yield meaningful progress.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on April 30, the Association’s Secretary, Dr Joojo Nyamekye-Baidoo, said the strike had become a last resort due to what he described as management’s lack of good faith in resolving the issues raised.
At the centre of the dispute is the exclusion of Laboratory Physicians from the hospital’s Central Laboratory, a development KODA argues has disrupted clinical service delivery as well as specialist medical training.
The Association maintains that doctors have been denied access to the facility for several years, with allegations of threats contributing to their continued absence from the laboratory.
Dr Nyamekye-Baidoo further noted that the situation has created operational inefficiencies, forcing the hospital to rely on external facilities, including the University of Ghana Medical School laboratory, for diagnostic services.
He warned that such arrangements are unsustainable and compromise the hospital’s ability to deliver timely and integrated healthcare.
“Strike is the only option. I think we’ve engaged management enough, and I don’t think they have come back to us in good faith,” he stated.
KODA indicated that the industrial action will be implemented in phases, beginning with outpatient services before potentially escalating to cover emergency and inpatient care if the concerns remain unresolved.
The Association also confirmed that the action has the backing of the Ghana Medical Association, signalling broader support within the medical community.
Among its key demands, KODA is calling for the immediate reinstatement of Laboratory Physicians and trainees into the Central Laboratory, unrestricted access to clinical systems, and the adoption of merit-based leadership in laboratory departments.
The Association is also demanding independent validation of specialised test results and a formal investigation into alleged threats against its members.
In addition to the laboratory dispute, the doctors have rejected a proposed policy to introduce a 24-hour specialist outpatient service.
They argue that existing arrangements already provide adequate coverage and caution that expanding services without corresponding increases in staffing levels could overstretch personnel and negatively impact patient care.
