Government, GMA still locked in negotiation
The government and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) are still locked in negotiations over the conditions of service for public sector medical officers.
So far, issues of fuel, vehicle tax exemption, cost of postgraduate studies, treatment of doctors outside have come up for negotiations but nothing has been agreed upon by the parties.
Fuel allocation
On fuel allocation, while the doctors requested that doctors of the rank of senior specialists be given 100 gallons per month; principal medical officer to specialist or chief medical/dental/deputy chief medical/dental officer be given 90 gallons monthly, and house officers to senior medical/dental officers 80 gallons per month, the government proposed 50 gallons, 40 gallons and 30 gallons respectively for the ranks.
With regard to vehicle tax exemption, the government noted that while vehicle tax exemption waivers had been abolished, doctors had been considered because of the critical nature of services rendered by them.
On the doctors’ proposal for the cost of their postgraduate medical education to be borne fully by their employers, the government conceded that sources of funding such as the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) could be considered in funding.
However, the counter-proposals by the government were all rejected by the doctors.
Although the government has conceded to the treatment of doctors outside the country where treatment could not be provided in Ghana, but silent on funding the travelling expenses of a third person, a family member or a caretaker to accompany the sick doctor, the GMA insists that the government must bear the full cost, including that of a third person, sources at the negotiations told the Daily Graphic.
The sources were unsure why the doctors had taken the stance insisting that their demands be met.
GMA proposals
Other proposals in the 16-point document for negotiation dated June 29, 2015, and captioned ‘Conditions of Service Proposals for Negotiations,’ were demands for members of the GMA who attain the rank of Principal Medical/Dental Officer and above to retire on their last salary where the doctor has served a minimum of 15 years in the Ministry of Health (MOH) and its agencies.
The doctors are also demanding that all members of the GMA working for the MOH and its agencies should be entitled to 40 per cent of their basic salaries as accommodation allowance per month.
Another proposal is for a doctor working for the MOH and its agencies to be given an official vehicle on attaining the rank of Principal Medical Officer and above.
The document was jointly signed by the President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr K. Opoku-Adusei, and the General Secretary of the GMA, Dr Frank Serebour.
They are also asking that all members of the GMA be made part of senior staff in all MOH establishments and institutions.
The doctors also demanded that categorisations for medical doctors should be A2 for consultant; A3, senior specialist; A4, specialist/chief medical officer, deputy chief medical officer; A5, principal medical dental officer; B1, senior medical officer; B2, medical/dental officer, and B3, house officer.
Other demands
They are demanding to be entitled “to a lump sum long service award after working continuously for a minimum of 15 years calculated as last gross salary times 180 months”.
The doctors also asked for an overtime duty allowance of minimum 200 hours per month above the 40 hours per week that is currently being paid for under the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
The breakdown is as follows: minimum one and half years times of daily salary for Monday to Friday and minimum two times daily salary for Saturdays, Sundays and nights.
Another demand of the doctors was on-call duty facilitation allowance amounting to 20 per cent of basic salary monthly.
They are also asking for clothing allowance of 30 per cent of basic salary monthly for all categories of doctors and dentists.
Other proposals were for book allowance (30 per cent of basic salary monthly) for the purchase of latest publications, journals and medical textbooks; utility allowance (20 per cent of basic salary monthly) for principal medical/dental officer and above; professional allowance (50 per cent of basic salary per month); special risk allowance (25 per cent of basic salary per month), vehicle maintenance allowance (20 per cent of basic salary monthly) and vehicle tax exemption or waiver for doctors.
They again asked that the government pay for all Medical and Dental Council (MDC)-sanctioned continuous professional development programmes.
The doctors also requested that the government pay the malpractice insurance cover for all doctors.
Other issues flagged for negotiations were for the reduced pensions of doctors since being placed on the single spine pay policy and their conversion differences to be discussed and addressed completely during the negotiations.