By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
The Korle Bu Doctors Association (KODA) has resolved to embark on an industrial action beginning May 4, 2026, following what it describes as a protracted failure of engagement with the management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital regarding entrenched operational and policy grievances.
Addressing the impasse on Eyewitness News on Thursday, April 30, KODA Secretary Dr. Joojo Nyamekye-Baidoo characterized the strike as an unavoidable recourse after exhaustive dialogue and official correspondence yielded no substantive redress.
He underscored that the crux of the dispute lies in the systematic exclusion of Laboratory Physicians from the hospital’s Central Laboratory — a policy KODA contends has severely compromised both clinical service delivery and the integrity of specialist medical training. He further disclosed that practitioners have been barred from the facility for years, with reports of intimidation exacerbating their prolonged absence.
“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 lamented.
Dr. Nyamekye-Baidoo explained that the prevailing arrangement has engendered glaring operational contradictions, compelling the hospital to outsource critical diagnostics to external laboratories, including the University of Ghana Medical School facility.
The industrial action, slated to commence May 4, will be executed in graduated phases — inaugurating with the withdrawal of outpatient services and potentially escalating to encompass emergency and inpatient care should the deadlock persist. He confirmed that the action enjoys the full endorsement of the Ghana Medical Association.
KODA’s demands are unequivocal: the immediate reinstatement of Laboratory Physicians and medical trainees to the Central Laboratory, unimpeded access to clinical systems, and the installation of laboratory leadership predicated on merit. The Association is further demanding independent verification of specialized diagnostic results and a thorough investigation into alleged threats levelled against its members.
Additionally, KODA has categorically rejected the hospital’s proposed 24-hour specialist outpatient service policy, contending that extant services already satisfy current demand. The Association cautioned that expansion absent commensurate staffing would impose unsustainable burdens on personnel and imperil the quality of patient care.