The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) has announced plans to withdraw its members' services nationwide from December 1, 2026, unless the government addresses long-standing grievances over working conditions and recognition. GACRA President James Nwinsagra made the announcement at the association's 8th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Session in Accra. The meeting was held under the theme "Enhancing Safe, Equitable Access to Anaesthesia and Surgery".
The grievances listed by GACRA include restrictions contained in the Scope of Practice document for Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRAs), inadequate conditions of service, and the absence of a formal Scheme of Service for the profession. The association also cited delays in approving job descriptions and limited opportunities for professional development as unresolved issues. Nwinsagra said the disagreement traces back to January 2022, when certified registered anaesthetists withdrew their services over non-recognition of the "Certified Registered Anaesthetist" designation.
Nwinsagra said GACRA is not against having a Scope of Practice document, but objects to proposed restrictions that would bar CRAs from administering anaesthesia to children under five, managing cases involving blood loss expected to exceed 1,000 millilitres, or handling major procedures likely to last more than four hours. The Ministerial Task Force itself warned that enforcing such restrictions could deny many Ghanaians access to essential anaesthesia and surgical care.
Teaching hospitals could be overwhelmed by referrals if the restrictions are enforced without resolution. CRAs would be forced to refer complicated cases, including antepartum and postpartum haemorrhage, placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured ectopic pregnancies, major laparotomies, and mass casualties, to teaching hospitals where anaesthesiologists are stationed, along with all children under five.
Nwinsagra also raised concerns about remuneration, despite GACRA recently signing its maiden Collective Agreement with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission after about two years of negotiations. He said the conditions approved so far fall short of members' expectations, arguing that CRAs perform demanding, critical duties and should not be placed in the same pay category as staff with different responsibilities.
The limited number of anaesthesia providers available to serve Ghana's population of more than 33 million puts considerable pressure on existing practitioners. On the Scheme of Service, an issue GACRA says it first raised at its 6th Annual General Meeting in Takoradi, Nwinsagra described progress by the employer as worrying.
Dr Ebenezer Oduro-Mensah, Deputy Director of the Clinical Services Development Department of the Ghana Health Service, acknowledged the gap between the health sector's workforce needs and the number of skilled professionals available. He said the concerns raised would be taken up with the relevant authorities for further consideration.
Key points
- Anaesthetists threaten nationwide strike over unresolved grievances on working conditions and recognition.
- Proposed restrictions could deny many Ghanaians access to essential anaesthesia and surgical care.
- The strike could overwhelm teaching hospitals with referrals of complicated cases.
