Ghana faces a fresh health crisis as over 200 junior doctors threaten to withdraw services after working for more than a year without pay.
The Junior Doctors’ Association says members will stop outpatient services from October 7, extend to emergency cases by October 10, and blame government for “exploitation.”
The looming strike comes as nearly 72% of doctors plan to emigrate and half of Ghana-trained doctors are already abroad, compounding fears of a collapsing health workforce.
In a strongly-worded statement sighted by The Chronicle, the association accused government of neglect and unfair treatment, warning that its members are prepared to “down their stethoscopes” and withdraw services. It explained that, in addition to the unpaid salaries, some doctors who were already on government payroll have had their salaries stopped without explanation. The association further revealed that more than 800 medical officers have been awaiting posting for the past one year and four months.
According to the group, repeated engagements with authorities and demonstrations of goodwill towards government have yielded no solutions. As part of a series of measures to express their displeasure, JDA-GH announced that all outpatient services will be withdrawn from Tuesday, 7th October to Thursday, 9th October 2025. From Friday, 10th October 2025, emergency services will also be suspended until further notice. Inpatients will continue to be managed until discharge, but no new admissions will be allowed.
The association bemoaned what it described as the continued exploitation of junior doctors in Ghana, stressing that such treatment would no longer be tolerated. It insisted that the responsibility for any disruption in healthcare services rests squarely with the Ministry of Health and the Government of Ghana.
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