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GMA demands fresh conditions of service by January 1
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is making fresh demands from government over their conditions of service.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, acting on behalf of the government, has been presented with a list of demands captured in a yet-to-be-signed conditions of service for doctors.
But ahead of the signing, President of the Association, Dr. Frank Serebour at the 65th General Meeting of the Association, made some key demands including access to free quality healthcare, secured pension including retirement on salary as well as a waiver on vehicles imported by doctors.
According to him, the poor working conditions of doctors make it imperative that they are compensated adequately.
“… We need to be protected from workplace hazards, we need to be given accessible healthcare which is unambiguously free, we need to be compensated for all the hazards we face.
“Our pensions need to be secured after we have sacrificed our bodies, minds and souls, we need logistics and an enabling environment to enable us to heal ourselves so that we can have the mental and physical well-being to be able to heal the population.
“Retirement on salary is not too much to ask for, there should be an immediate reinstatement of the vehicle importation tax waiver for health workers.
“We should not be made to pay the ultimate price of losing our lives and homes in the quest of taking care of the vulnerable; someone must care for the health worker. What we are asking for is not an impossibility. We are not asking for the moon to swallow the sun neither are we asking for immortality,” they demanded.
GMA warned they may be forced to take a tough stance if the government fails to sign and implement the conditions of service by January 1, 2024.
Dr Serebour added; “The GMA will appreciate some urgency on the path of the Fair Wages and Salary Commission to bring closure to this process. The GMA has been patient, however, it is worthy to note that the labourer also deserves his wages and our patience cannot be stretched in perpetuity”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei Asare has assured that the government is working to implement the conditions of service, explaining that parliament has already passed the exemptions tax paving the way for doctors to enjoy a waiver on vehicle importation.
According to her, the government has been able to meet GMA’s conditions of service for the past year, and she believes that this year will be no exception.
“The Chairman and President of GMA, I just want to assure you that we have made some progress and very soon Fair Wages and Salaries Commission will be calling a meeting to kick start the operationalisation of your new conditions of service,” she assured.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
