Some unemployed physician assistants have threatened not to leave the premises of the Health Ministry until they are given specific timelines on when they will be posted.
The about 40 physician assistants who graduated from the Kintampo College of Health in 2016 say several calls on authorities for posting seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
This situation, they say has negatively affected them hence their protest at the ministry to further drum home their demands.
Citi News‘ Hanson Agyemang who was at the demonstration grounds reported that the angry physician assistants who were clad in their white lab coats wielded placards with inscriptions such as ‘No more deceit post us now’, ‘Unemployment can cause psychosis’ and ‘Nana Addo we trusted you, post us now’.
Having graduated from the Kintampo College of Health and following all due to process to attain their certification from the Medical and Dental Council, the physician assistants say they are surprised at the government’s posture of not addressing their concerns.
A leader of the group, Edward Aloryito in an interview with Citi News, gave hints of the group’s intentions not to leave the premises of the ministry until they get a favourable response.
“We are picketing until we get our clearance issues sorted out. Until that is done, we are ready to sleep at the premises of the Ministry of Health.”
The unemployed physician assistants say they suspect a case of sabotage since their other colleagues who graduated from other departments in the college and other health institutions have since been posted.
Despite the government’s failure to post them three years after graduation, the physician assistants say they have routinely been renewing their license as required and the cost has impounded their woes.
Health Ministry response
Meanwhile, a deputy Minister of Health, Alex Abban who received the petition of the physician assistants revealed that plans are far advanced to get them employed.
“I will convey your concerns to the Minister. Let me assure you that, we have already had discussions with the Ministry of Finance on the matter. Don’t be agitated because the point is that we are dealing with a very big issue.”
