The Government of Ghana is set to bring in a total of 177 doctors from Cuba to support healthcare delivery in Ghana.
The move forms part of measures to mitigate the effect of the ongoing strike by members of the Ghana Medial Association (GMA).
“The Government would continue the process of bringing in 177 Cuban doctors to augment efforts to protect life and restore normalcy in the health sector,” the Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia, said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
“We are also retaining all the 16 Cuban doctors who have completed their rotations and were programmed to leave for Cuba anytime soon,” he added.
According to the Health Minister, the country has a long-standing arrangement with Cuba and other countries whereby doctors from those countries are brought in every year to augment the number of doctors in Ghana, as far as healthcare delivery is concerned.
‘’Effective Thursday, 20th August, 2015, all members of GMA who have not reported and assumed full duty shall be considered as being on strike and in clear breach of the Labor Act,” the Minister said.
Former President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) Dr.Emmanuel Adom Winful said the government’s decision to engage the services of Cuban and retired doctors to fill the gap created by the striking doctors is not a solution to the crisis in the health sector.
He said engaging these Cuban doctors will rather worsen the situation and deteriorate any progress made in resolving the current stalemate.