Ghana Medical Association claims doctors’ salaries are distorted

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed concerns about distortions in the salary of its members since they were migrated onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

It said since the migration onto the SSSS in December 2011, most of their Doctors have not been paid their arrears since February 2012 and that others have received salaries lower than their predetermined salaries.

A press statement signed by Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, President of GMA and copied to the Ghana News Agency, called on the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to address all these concerns by the next pay roll.

The statement supported the call by the Junior Doctors Association of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for a better and competent management and board of the hospital to be constituted by the Government.

It added that this new management and board ought to be clearly mandated to resolve these system-wide issues in order not to compromise the quality of care.

The statement said with regards to remarks by Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, that he would withdraw the certificates of doctors refusing posting to deprived areas, it stated that it was only the medical schools which awarded the certificates that could withdraw them.

It said on the matter of the dispute between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the GMA on the migration of doctors on the SSSS, the National Labour Council in November 2011, ruled and referred the outstanding issues of the placements of the Medical Superintendents and District Directors of Health Services on the Single Spine Salary Structure to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Council for redress.

The statement said GMA can confirm that the FWSC has unilaterally migrated this category of health workers without recourse to the GMA or the GHS Council as stipulated in the NLC’s ruling.

It said even though the GMA has written several times to the GHS Council indicating their availability and readiness for a peaceful resolution, they were never  invited for any discussions on the said matter.

According to the statement, the GMA has resolved to file a petition at the NLC citing the FWSC for contempt of its ruling and to ensure that the right procedures are followed in the resolution of the matter.

It said over the years, attempts have been made by the GMA to get conditions of service document for public sector doctors negotiated and adopted to no avail.

It stressed that even though the Association has worked with the management committee of the Ministry of Health on proposed conditions of service document for Doctors, the GMA is not satisfied with the pace of the discussion.

The statement called on the Ministry of Health and the FWSC to take urgent steps to engage and finalise discussions on the pending matter of conditions of service for doctors and other health workers.

It added that it was unacceptable that health professionals do not have any conditions of service document as stipulated by the Labour Act.

Source: GNA

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