The Junior Doctors’ Association of Ghana (JDA-GH) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of its members’ services, citing what it describes as prolonged neglect and unfair treatment by authorities.
According to a statement issued by the association’s president, Dr. (Med) Louis Afia Nkrumah, more than 200 junior doctors have been left without salaries for periods ranging from 10 to 14 months.
Others who were previously on the government payroll have had their wages abruptly stopped without explanation. In addition, over 800 medical officers are said to have been awaiting placement for more than a year.
The association noted that despite repeated discussions with stakeholders, no concrete measures have been taken to resolve the challenges.
Per the outlined industrial action, outpatient services will be suspended from Tuesday, October 7, to Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Beginning Friday, October 10, emergency services will also be withdrawn indefinitely. While doctors will continue caring for patients already admitted until they are discharged, no new admissions will be accepted.
The JDA-GH stressed that the continued exploitation and delayed salary arrears of junior doctors are unacceptable and stated that the Ministry of Health and the government must bear full responsibility for any disruption in healthcare delivery.
The association further appealed to all relevant authorities to act swiftly to address the crisis.
The junior doctors will join hundreds of nurses and midwives who have worked for nearly 10 months without a salary.
The aggrieved health workers staged a massive protest in Accra on Thursday, October 2, 2025, demanding immediate payment of their long-overdue wages.
The demonstration, organised by the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives, began at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, from where the health workers marched through major streets of the capital to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health.
They carried placards and chanted songs of frustration as they delivered petitions to both ministries.
According to the convener of the coalition, Stephen Kwadwo Takyiah, the situation is not only demoralising but also undermines the delivery of quality healthcare across the country.
