Dr. Thomas Anaba, a member of the Parliamentary Health Committee, has expressed concern over the ongoing strike by nurses and midwives across the country, describing it as a major threat to healthcare delivery.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of the health workers’ demands, he pointed a finger at leadership as the core of the problem.
According to Dr. Anaba, the health sector exists to support the sick and ensure swift recovery for those who fall ill. Any disruption, such as a strike, undermines this fundamental mission and creates panic even among those not currently in need of healthcare services.
“Nurses form the chunk of the staff of the health sector who provide services,” he noted in a conversation with Beatrice Adu on 3FM 92.7’s Midday News, adding that their absence severely cripples the entire system.
Dr. Anaba referenced Section 163 of the Labour Act, Act 651, which prohibits strikes by essential services providers, including healthcare. He noted that this provision appears to have been overlooked, highlighting the legal and ethical concerns surrounding the industrial action.
“That is why the court ruled they should go back to work and then negotiate,” he explained on June 9.
However, the heart of his critique focused on the leadership of the striking health professionals. While he acknowledged that the nurses and midwives have been patient citing the signed agreement from the previous year that remains unimplemented, he questioned the leadership’s current approach. “The previous government that signed it didn’t even get this kind of pressure,” he observed, suggesting that the earlier administration may have offered clearer explanations or timelines.
“To me, it is not that the nurses are not considerate, it’s the leadership. To me, that may have a problem,” he emphasized.
Dr. Anaba argued for a gradual rollout of the agreed conditions of service, aligning with the country’s economic realities. He urged the nurses’ leadership to return to the negotiation table and collaborate with the government’s three-man committee tasked with working out an implementation plan.
“I’m not saying they shouldn’t get it—no, I’m far from that,” he clarified. “They should bear with the government and allow the process to be rolled out gradually.”
Dr. Anaba reaffirmed his commitment as a Health Committee member to assist in mediating the situation. “What we can do to help is to appeal to the nurses to go back to the drawing board and see how they can roll out the implementation of this policy,” he said.
The remarks from Dr. Anaba come amid growing public anxiety over the strike’s implications and highlight the delicate balance between worker rights and essential service delivery.
