The Association, after it partially withdrew services across all public health facilities in the country last week, embarked on full strike action to protest the Ghana Medical and Dental Council's continuous failure to recognize members as Certified Registered Anaesthetists.

Anaesthetists are health care professionals, who administer anaesthesia to patients in theatre before surgeries are performed, they also play critical roles in newborn babies at Neonatal Resuscitation Units, and perform among other procedures venipuncture on patients, especially children when other health professionals fail to access their veins for blood samples and intravenous medications.

Members of the Association, who are currently referred to as Physician Assistants, had among other grievances complained about the disregard for their carrier progression and the lack of management opportunities for its members.

According to the GACRA, the Ghana Medical and Dental Council's quest to change the existing Bachelor of Science Anaesthesia to Bachelor of Science Physician Assistants was a violation of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act 857 (Act 2013).

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga to assess the impact of the strike action, Dr Daniel Osei at the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Department, described the strike action as "sad," saying they could not perform Cesarean Sections (CS) and had to refer patients.

The GNA observed that nurses in major operation theatres of the facility were relaxed and chatting among themselves, and they told the GNA that "We don't have cases, anaesthetists are on strike so doctors are not booking surgical cases."

However, their colleagues in the facility's minor theatre were performing some daily minor routine procedures, such as wound dressing on Out-Patients.

Mr Jeremiah Malir Tamondo, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GACRA told the GNA in an interview, that the Association was not happy it had embarked on the strike action, especially in the Region where people were disadvantaged in terms of health care services.

He noted that "As a professional group of Certified Registered Anaesthetists, this is our first time in history to go on strike. That means we are not just professionals who go on strike without any reason, we cherish our patients and anytime we fail to administer our services to them, we are not happy."

However, Mr Tamondo emphasized that "our professional dignity and recognition is very important. As an Association we are sad, we actually don't like the action, but it is just fair that authorities listen to us and resolve the problem".

At the Maternity Ward, doctors and midwives were preparing referral documents to refer an 18-year-old pregnant lady from Sumbrungu, a suburb of the Bolgatanga Municipality with pre-eclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication with high blood pressure, to a private facility for CS.

Mr Bernard Ayinga, a relative of the pregnant woman who looked worried about the referral, told the GNA that he was surprised that the Regional Hospital, which was the major referral centre for the Region, was referring critical cases to private hospitals, and appealed to government to intervene in the strike action.