The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has urged the government to urgently engage the leadership of the Junior Doctors’ Association of Ghana in a bid to avert a looming nationwide strike set to begin on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

The Junior Doctors’ Association recently announced plans to withdraw their services in protest against prolonged salary delays, stalled postings, and what they describe as continued unfair treatment by the state.

The GMA has warned that any industrial action by junior doctors would severely disrupt healthcare delivery across the country and called on government to act immediately to resolve the matter.

In an interview with Citi News on Friday, October 3, GMA President Dr. Frank Serebour expressed deep concern over the situation, revealing that some junior doctors have gone without salaries for up to a year.

“For you to work for close to 10 months, 11 months, 12 months without salary, it’s something that nobody can defend, because we were able to work to reduce the number of months that we have to work before they receive a salary to three months. So, what happened that now we are gradually going back to this nine-month, eight-month business? So, clearly, as the Ghana Medical Association, we have actually been trying very hard to control the situation.

Dr. Serebour explained that despite multiple engagements and assurances, the government has yet to address the junior doctors’ grievances, forcing them to act.

“We’ve had several meetings to ensure that these doctors stay calm and continue giving their services. However, the assurances that we gave them and we told them that we are going to push, at a point, we realised that we can’t promise any longer."
“So we just have to allow them to also express their disgust or anger in a way that they feel would inure to their best interest. And certainly, they have issued a statement indicating that they will begin a series of actions starting from Tuesday, and that is on the 7th of October 2025.”

He further revealed that approximately 800 qualified doctors remain unposted, adding to the frustration within the medical community and contributing to a growing brain drain.

“We still have about 800 doctors who are also at home who need to be posted. Because if we don’t post them, this is the avenue we create, and then people begin to look for other areas to go. And before you say Jack, not all of them are even in the country because they would have found places to go."

Dr. Serebour stressed the urgency of resolving the crisis through meaningful dialogue, prompt salary payments, and immediate postings to avoid further disruption to the healthcare system.

“Because once you finish school and you start work, everybody knows that you are supposed to be paid a salary. So I believe we will be able to resolve this matter amicably without the nuances of the strike action kicking off," he said.