HEALTH

Mass withdrawal of corpses at KATH as mortuary workers threaten strike

Several bereaved families preserving their dead at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on Monday thronged the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to withdraw their corpses.

They feared the pending strike of mortuary workers will deal a devastating blow to their funeral plans and in the worse case, the shape of the remains.

The family members, most of whom were clad in red and black funeral clothes, told Ultimate FM’s Fatau Bayaga, they were transporting the corpses to private facilities with others intending to bury their dead before Thursday.

“The COVID-19 prevented us from taking and burying our corpses so if the mortuary workers decide to go on strike it will affect many of us,” a worried member of a bereaved family lamented.

Another person pointed out: “My uncle died yesterday and I am here to remove the corpse to a different facility. We will plead with the government to hear the workers out because this will affect a lot of people.

“It’s the body of my father-in-law that we are preparing to take to Emina Hospital Morgue. If we delay a bit, it will affect us, and taking the body out will be a problem,” another bemoaned.

The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has announced all its members are laying down their tools effective Thursday, October 1.

They complain the Ministry of Health has failed to resolve long-standing concerns of conditions of service and the unhealthy working environments endured by their members.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana, Ebenezer Asirifi, asserted that they will only halt the strike if the government meets their demands immediately,

The chairman accused the government of reneging on its promise of improving their working conditions, which include poor salaries, lack of personal protective equipment, and poor working environment.

“When you go to some of the morgues you will find out that they don’t even have equipment and gloves. We have met with the government several times and nothing has been done. That’s why we have planned to go on strike,” he explained.

In March last year, members of the Association embarked on a sit-down strike on the same issue, but an intervention by the Ministry of Health and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission caused them to suspend the action

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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