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The Korle Bu Senior Staff Association (KOSSA) has given the management of the hospital a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw an interdiction letter served on the President of the association, Mr Charles Ofei-Palm.

According to the association, the letter, which was in reaction to an interview Mr Ofei-Palm granted Class fm, an Accra-based radio station, last month on some happenings at the hospital, was a calculated attempt to put fear in the workers and cripple their freedom.

But members of the association said they would not allow the management to dictate to them on what to do.
Ofei-Palm’s interview 

On March 17, 2016, Mr Ofei-Palm reacted to media reports on the Auditor-General’s Report which indicted Korle Bu for some financial lapses.  

Additionally, he told the radio station that the hospital was almost on its knees, as it was about collapsing under the watch of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Gilbert Buckle, and the Board Chairman, Professor Anthony Mawuli Sallah.

That, among other things he was purported to have told the radio station, angered the management, which claimed that the things he said were untrue and against the media policy set up by the management. 

As a result, Mr Ofei-Palm was served with an interdiction letter. 

Demonstration  

As early as 9 a.m. on Monday, some senior staff members of Korle Bu were seen in their numbers marching from the KOSSA Secretariat to the main administration block of the hospital to press home their demands.

Even though the process did not halt operations at the hospital, it delayed activities, since some workers had to join their colleagues for the protest.  

Clad in their all-white apparel and wearing armbands, the demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Dr Buckle, do you believe in freedom of speech?”; “Charles Ofei-Palm has not offended any media policy”; “We’re tired of the management in Korle Bu”; and “Mr Minister of Health, why silent on KOSSA petition?”

Led by the General Secretary, Mr James Clifford Oblitey, the workers chanted various slogans to register their anger and disappointment.

They then presented a petition and a letter demanding an immediate emergency meeting between the management and the staff to address the financial challenges the nation’s premier hospital was battling with.    
Management to address concerns

Receiving the letter and the petition on behalf of the management, the Deputy Director of Administration, Mr Kambarin Kombian, assured the workers that management would address their grievances as soon as possible.

He, therefore, urged them to go back to their posts to continue the day’s work, since management would not sleep on their demands.

“I cannot assure you about the ultimatum given, but I know management will surely address all the issues you have raised for the betterment of this facility,” he said.

‘We will resist management’

Addressing the media later, Mr Ofei-Palm expressed appreciation to his colleagues for backing him as their leader.

He also sent a strong signal to management that the workers would do everything within their power to resist it “if it chooses to take any decision which will not be in the interest of the hospital and Mother Ghana”.

“We will ensure that we resist management whenever it takes any decision which will go against this institution,” he said.  

Presently, he said, the hospital lacked basic medical implements, gadgets and medicines due to poor administration and mismanagement, adding: “We will not sit down for things to deteriorate before we take action.” 

He further challenged the management to make good use of internally generated funds (IGFs).