UCC Hospital on Campus to Resume Service Partially Amid Senior Staff Strike
Management of the University of Cape Coast has announced, for the information of the general public and students, that the University Hospital will resume operations on January 31, 2024.
This is expected to be a partial resumption of service by the health facility.
According to the management of the facility and the university, effective January 31, 2024, departments and sections of the facility that will provide service to students and the general public include Emergency, Outpatient Department (OPD), Antenatal, Public Health, Radiology, Laboratory, and Pharmacy.
According to management, all major wards will remain closed.
It will be recalled that the University Hospital suspended operations due to the on-going strike action by the Senior Staff Association of Public Universities over the alleged cancellation of overtime allowances and other issues relating to retirement benefits.
The Association has since not complied with a directive by the National Labour Commission to call off its strike action.
According to its leadership, the Senior Staff Association of Public Universities is determined to protect the interests of its members and will not call off the strike until their demands are met.
The longer the members of the association continue with the strike, the more worrying it will get, as their services are needed in all departments and sections of the university if the academic institution is to function effectively and efficiently.
The strike action has brought administrative activities at the public universities to a standstill.
This, according to students, is impeding the progress of normal academic activities and compelling many to spend lecturer hours outside the lecture halls, in the libraries, engaging in some form of subject-based discussion with colleagues. The strike action is also going to affect the semester and the academic calendar if it prolongs further.
Students have called for an end to the strike but have been particularly concerned about the closure of the University Hospitals which provided health services to students, among others.
The UCC SRC took the matter up and pleaded with management to at least grant students’ access to essential healthcare on campus.
Various student political activists also took the matter up, and strong support was generated on social media and across various student platforms.
In response, the Directorate of University Health Services at the University of Cape Coast issued a letter on January 30, 2024, announcing the resumption of service.
Most students expressed gratitude to management for the swift response and called on the government to address the needs of the association.
Source: Richard Akanyiti | GhanaEducation.org
