Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital nurses begin strike to demand removal of MD

Nurses of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in the Central Region have left inmates to their fate as they start a sit-down strike today, Thursday to demand dismissal of the Medical Director.

The health workers are incensed over the Minister of Health refusal to sack Dr Eugene Dodorye whom they accuse of being corrupt and lack proper managerial skills.

The angry nurses claim they’ve been prevented from demonstrating at the hospital to register their displeasure over the leadership style of their director.

They accuse Dr Dodorye of intimidation, harassment and victimization among others.

The Nurses further accused him of attacking them verbally and violating their rights. In one instance, they allege that their boss punished a nurse who was absent because she had been given an excuse duty after suffering an asthma attack.

An ultimatum by the nurses after they rejected an apology from their boss, expired Wednesday night.

Secretary for the Psychiatric Nurses at the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, Malcom Ali in an interview said the hospital has also suspended admission of new patients.

“It’s rather unfortunate, we don’t know what will happen to them. But then yesterday there was an emergency meeting by management and all the in-charges of the various wards were called and they were told to as much as possible bring patients for discharge and as at yesterday when we made our checks we had about eleven patients that had been discharged, eight of them are gone and the rest are waiting for their relatives to come for them. We’ll come to work and write our names but we’ll not do anything until our hospital director is removed from the hospital.

“The sit down action will be observed by all the departments, the records department where a new folder will be secured will also take part, the pharmacy, laboratory, the OPD which is the gateway to the hospital will not function effectively.”