PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 4TH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)

August 11, 2015
PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF THE
4TH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)
MEETING OF THE GHANA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(GMA) FOR THE YEAR 2015, HELD AT THE CAPITAL
VIEW HOTEL, KOFORIDUA IN THE EASTERN
REGION, FROM 10TH – 12TH AUGUST, 2015
GMA wishes to bring the following to the notice
of the public and all concerned:
Historical Perspective
1. Members of the GMA in the public sector have
not had any DOCUMENTED Conditions of Service
(COS) since the inception of the Ghana Health
Service (GHS) in 1996.
2. The various benefits currently enjoyed by our
members ie 2 weeks of free mortuary services,
are as a result of administrative directives,
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and other
discretionary offers from our employer. These are
varied at will, without recourse to the employees.
3. The process of developing COS document for
doctors began over 10 years ago, and has never
been concluded, because the successive
Governments prefer to operate a system where we
cannot point, or hold them to any single
document as constituting the COS for our
members.
4. After several years of unsuccessful
negotiations, the General Assembly of the GMA
issued an ultimatum in November 2014
(“November Ultimatum”), with several subsequent
reminders to the effect that if COS document is
not signed before 30th of June, 2015, the GMA
will put into motion series of actions that may
disturb the industrial peace in the health sector.
5. Following the November ultimatum, in April
2015, a team was put together by government to
draft a framework for negotiation for COS for the
entire health sector. The team finished their work
at the end of May 2015.
6. The Framework was supposed to guide all
unions within the health sector on their
proposals for negotiations.
The Negotiation Process
1. GMA submitted its proposal at a joint
negotiation committee (comprising 16 members
from the government team and 10 members from
the GMA).
2. The ground rules for the Committee were
signed between the parties on the 28th of June,
2015. In response to this progress, the GMA
called for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on
the 29th of June 2015, to review its deadline. The
General Assembly agreed to shift its ultimatum to
the 29th of July 2015, in other to give room for
negotiations to continue. As part of the ground
rules, both parties were prohibited from making
public, any document from the negotiation table.
It was against this background of utmost good
faith that the GMA submitted its proposals.
Government’s Bad Faith
1. Throughout the process of negotiations it
became apparent that the Government team was
not properly mandated and they could not take
any decisions. Indeed, the Chairmanship position
of the government team has never been stable
and kept on changing from time to time. It must
be said that it was only on the day that the
roadmap as stipulated by the GMA was supposed
to come into force that the government team
showed some signs of seriousness with the
negotiations. The GMA therefore had no option
than to roll out the roadmap on the 29th of July
2015, when no COS document had been
negotiated and signed as was demanded by the
General Assembly of the GMA.
2. As soon as the roadmap was put into motion,
the government resulted to propaganda and lies
with the aim of turning/swaying public opinion
against the doctors despite the fact that it was the
government that had not shown good faith at the
negotiation table.
3. As part of government propaganda machinery,
some proposals that the GMA had put before it at
the negotiation table was leaked to the press, a
clear violation of the ground rules that were
signed between the parties.
4. Subsequently, several altered and fallacious
documents were released into the public to make
it appear as if government was making
concessions and that it was the GMA that was
being recalcitrant.
It must be noted that, government on several
occasions had put positions on the negotiation
table only to come back and withdraw them when
it had been agreed by both parties.
Negotiations ended abruptly on Sunday, 9th
August, 2015, when government put forward a
take-it-or-leave-it proposal to the GMA which
contained worse proposals compared to
government’s previous proposals to the GMA. It
became clear to the GMA then that, government
had taken an entrenched position and was not
ready to find solutions to the impasse but rather
was counting on its propaganda machinery as a
way out of the situation.
Meanwhile the GMA engaged the Ghana Health
Service Council and on two (2) occasions had
meetings with the Parliamentary Select Committee
of Health with the aim of making progress with
the negotiations.
Way forward
1. The on-going media war and propaganda
launched by the Government through putting out
of lies and half-truths do not add value to
negotiations. In the opinion of the GMA, this path
only leads to the inflammation of passions. This
rather worsens the situation and in so doing
boost the determination of the GMA to press
home our demand for a proper negotiated and
signed Conditions of Service.
2. The National Executive Council mindful of the
various developments including appeals by
various groups in the country has therefore taken
the decision that an Extra Ordinary General
Assembly meeting be held on Friday, 14th
August, 2015, to review the situation.
3. In the light of the above, the GMA calls on all
of its members to remain calm and steadfast in
these turbulent times.
Release of fourteen (14) House Officers at
Techiman Holy Family Hospital
The attention of the National Executive Council
has been drawn to events happening at the
Techiman Holy Family Hospital leading to the
release of 14 house officers from the institution
for reposting. The GMA will like to condemn the
recent phenomenon where heads of training
institutions at the least provocation threaten and
or release house officers to the Medical and
Dental Council for reposting.
This act amounts to intimidation and an
infringement on the rights of house officers to
participate in trade union activities, a right which
is enshrined in the Labour Act 651. Heads of all
health facilities are being admonished to stop
this practice with immediate effect. The GMA will
not hesitate to bring its full force to bear on such
institutions that perpetuate such inferior tactics
on its members. The GMA may in future advice
its members not to serve in such institutions if it
becomes necessary.
Ultimately the GMA wishes to remind all and
sundry that the current action however difficult
we find ourselves in, are aimed to finding long
term solutions towards labour relations and
improve on efficiency and quality care in the
health sector.
SIGNED
Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei
Dr. Frank Serebour

PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 4TH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)

August 11, 2015
PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE END OF THE
4TH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)
MEETING OF THE GHANA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(GMA) FOR THE YEAR 2015, HELD AT THE CAPITAL
VIEW HOTEL, KOFORIDUA IN THE EASTERN
REGION, FROM 10TH – 12TH AUGUST, 2015
GMA wishes to bring the following to the notice
of the public and all concerned:
Historical Perspective
1. Members of the GMA in the public sector have
not had any DOCUMENTED Conditions of Service
(COS) since the inception of the Ghana Health
Service (GHS) in 1996.
2. The various benefits currently enjoyed by our
members ie 2 weeks of free mortuary services,
are as a result of administrative directives,
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and other
discretionary offers from our employer. These are
varied at will, without recourse to the employees.
3. The process of developing COS document for
doctors began over 10 years ago, and has never
been concluded, because the successive
Governments prefer to operate a system where we
cannot point, or hold them to any single
document as constituting the COS for our
members.
4. After several years of unsuccessful
negotiations, the General Assembly of the GMA
issued an ultimatum in November 2014
(“November Ultimatum”), with several subsequent
reminders to the effect that if COS document is
not signed before 30th of June, 2015, the GMA
will put into motion series of actions that may
disturb the industrial peace in the health sector.
5. Following the November ultimatum, in April
2015, a team was put together by government to
draft a framework for negotiation for COS for the
entire health sector. The team finished their work
at the end of May 2015.
6. The Framework was supposed to guide all
unions within the health sector on their
proposals for negotiations.
The Negotiation Process
1. GMA submitted its proposal at a joint
negotiation committee (comprising 16 members
from the government team and 10 members from
the GMA).
2. The ground rules for the Committee were
signed between the parties on the 28th of June,
2015. In response to this progress, the GMA
called for an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on
the 29th of June 2015, to review its deadline. The
General Assembly agreed to shift its ultimatum to
the 29th of July 2015, in other to give room for
negotiations to continue. As part of the ground
rules, both parties were prohibited from making
public, any document from the negotiation table.
It was against this background of utmost good
faith that the GMA submitted its proposals.
Government’s Bad Faith
1. Throughout the process of negotiations it
became apparent that the Government team was
not properly mandated and they could not take
any decisions. Indeed, the Chairmanship position
of the government team has never been stable
and kept on changing from time to time. It must
be said that it was only on the day that the
roadmap as stipulated by the GMA was supposed
to come into force that the government team
showed some signs of seriousness with the
negotiations. The GMA therefore had no option
than to roll out the roadmap on the 29th of July
2015, when no COS document had been
negotiated and signed as was demanded by the
General Assembly of the GMA.
2. As soon as the roadmap was put into motion,
the government resulted to propaganda and lies
with the aim of turning/swaying public opinion
against the doctors despite the fact that it was the
government that had not shown good faith at the
negotiation table.
3. As part of government propaganda machinery,
some proposals that the GMA had put before it at
the negotiation table was leaked to the press, a
clear violation of the ground rules that were
signed between the parties.
4. Subsequently, several altered and fallacious
documents were released into the public to make
it appear as if government was making
concessions and that it was the GMA that was
being recalcitrant.
It must be noted that, government on several
occasions had put positions on the negotiation
table only to come back and withdraw them when
it had been agreed by both parties.
Negotiations ended abruptly on Sunday, 9th
August, 2015, when government put forward a
take-it-or-leave-it proposal to the GMA which
contained worse proposals compared to
government’s previous proposals to the GMA. It
became clear to the GMA then that, government
had taken an entrenched position and was not
ready to find solutions to the impasse but rather
was counting on its propaganda machinery as a
way out of the situation.
Meanwhile the GMA engaged the Ghana Health
Service Council and on two (2) occasions had
meetings with the Parliamentary Select Committee
of Health with the aim of making progress with
the negotiations.
Way forward
1. The on-going media war and propaganda
launched by the Government through putting out
of lies and half-truths do not add value to
negotiations. In the opinion of the GMA, this path
only leads to the inflammation of passions. This
rather worsens the situation and in so doing
boost the determination of the GMA to press
home our demand for a proper negotiated and
signed Conditions of Service.
2. The National Executive Council mindful of the
various developments including appeals by
various groups in the country has therefore taken
the decision that an Extra Ordinary General
Assembly meeting be held on Friday, 14th
August, 2015, to review the situation.
3. In the light of the above, the GMA calls on all
of its members to remain calm and steadfast in
these turbulent times.
Release of fourteen (14) House Officers at
Techiman Holy Family Hospital
The attention of the National Executive Council
has been drawn to events happening at the
Techiman Holy Family Hospital leading to the
release of 14 house officers from the institution
for reposting. The GMA will like to condemn the
recent phenomenon where heads of training
institutions at the least provocation threaten and
or release house officers to the Medical and
Dental Council for reposting.
This act amounts to intimidation and an
infringement on the rights of house officers to
participate in trade union activities, a right which
is enshrined in the Labour Act 651. Heads of all
health facilities are being admonished to stop
this practice with immediate effect. The GMA will
not hesitate to bring its full force to bear on such
institutions that perpetuate such inferior tactics
on its members. The GMA may in future advice
its members not to serve in such institutions if it
becomes necessary.
Ultimately the GMA wishes to remind all and
sundry that the current action however difficult
we find ourselves in, are aimed to finding long
term solutions towards labour relations and
improve on efficiency and quality care in the
health sector.
SIGNED
Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei
Dr. Frank Serebour

Math Questions

MATHEMATICS
PAPER
Time: 2Hrs 30MINS

INSTRUCTIONS:
ATTEMPT ALL QNS
ALL QNS CARRY EQUAL MARKS

1. U have dated a gal for 2yrs, eventually
she drops u for another guy. Calculate the percentage of time wasted  (20mks)

2. U buy knickers for ur girlfriend & another guy undresses them. Using Trigonometric identities, Derive a
general formular  for this type of love. (20mks)

3.(For gals) U sleep with men 5 times
a week.Calculate the total reaction
force on your private part Take g=9.81m/s (20mks)

4.(For Boys) U're dating around 15
girls & every gal is demanding  for a
sumsung galaxy & an ipad
a) Plot a graph
of girls against prices of phones. (15mks)
b) Use your graph to estimate ur future
poverty (5mks)

5. You are dating peoples' sisters yet
u don't want to see any guy with ur sister. Calculate The Percentage Error In
Ur Thinking Capacity.Take Pie=3.142
(20mks )

>>>>END<<<<

Thinking out of the box

WORTH A READ!

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’s debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag.If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way.

If you liked this story… please share with friends, family and children… You might spark a thought, inspire and possibly change a life forever!

Thinking "Out of the Box"...

Law of the Garbage Truck

��

This has to be one of the best messages I have received because when you sit and think about it.... it is so true. Hope you enjoy it too!!

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy could almost have ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'Law of the Garbage Truck'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointments. As and when their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, So... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is 10 % what you make it.
AND
90 % how you take it!
Have a garbage-free Life !!

Management Lessons

5-Minute Management Course

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

When she opens the door, there stands Bob , the next-door neighbor..

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.

'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'

'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch'

Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients..'

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.

The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your
friend.

Educated stealer

During a robbery in Guangzhou,China the
bank robber shouted to everyone in the bank:
"Don't move.The money belongs to the State.
Your life belongs to you."Everyone in the bank laid down quietly. This is called "Mind Changing Concept” Changing the conventional way of thinking.When a lady lay on the table provocatively,the robber shouted at her: "Please be civilized! This is a robbery and not a rape!"This is called "Being Professional” Focus only on what you are trained to do!When the bank robbers returned home,the younger robber (MBA-trained) told the older robber (who has only completed Year 6 in
primary school): "Big brother,let's count how
much we got."The older robber rebutted and said: "You are very stupid.There is so much money it will take us a long time to count. Tonight, the TV news will tell us how much we robbed from
the bank!"This is called "Experience.”Nowadays,
experience is more important than paper
qualifications!After the robbers had left, the bank manager told the bank supervisor to call the police quickly. But the supervisor said to him: "Wait!Let us take out $10 million from the bank for ourselves and add it to the $70 million that we have previously embezzled from the bank”.This is called "Swim with the tide.” Converting an unfavorable situation to your advantage!The supervisor says: "It will be good if there is a robbery every month."
This is called "Killing Boredom.” Personal
Happiness is more important than your job.
The next day, the TV news reported that $100
million was taken from the bank. The robbers
counted and counted and counted, but they
could only count $20 million. The robbers
were very angry and complained: "We risked
our lives and only took $20 million. The bank
manager took $80 million with a snap of his fingers.It looks like it is better to be educated than to be a thief!"This is called "Knowledge is worth as much as gold!"
The bank manager was smiling and happy
because his losses in the share market are now covered by this robbery.This is called "Seizing the opportunity.” Daring
to take risks!So who are the real robbers here?