Ghana Anaesthetists Threaten Nationwide Withdrawal of Services From 1 December

ACCRA, GHANA — Ghana’s Certified Registered Anaesthetists have issued a Ghana anaesthetists strike threat, warning that they will withdraw anaesthesia services nationwide from 1 December 2026 if the government does not resolve concerns over their scope of practice, recognition and conditions of service, GhanaWeb reported on 4 November.

The warning came from the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) at its 8th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Session in Accra, held under the theme “Enhancing Safe, Equitable Access to Anaesthesia and Surgery.” The association’s president is James Nwinsagra.

What lies behind the Ghana anaesthetists strike threat

GACRA says it accepts a defined scope of practice but objects to restrictions that would bar Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRAs) from anaesthetising children under five, managing cases with significant bleeding or expected blood loss of more than 1,000 ml, and handling major procedures expected to last more than four hours.

If those restrictions are enforced, CRAs say they would have to refer children under five and complex cases to teaching hospitals. The cases listed include bleeding before and after childbirth, placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, major abdominal operations and mass casualty events, many of which are emergencies that cannot wait for transfer.

The association also says the title “Certified Registered Anaesthetist” is not recognised under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), and that approved conditions of service fall short, even after a first Collective Agreement with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission that took about two years to negotiate.

Other demands include a formal Scheme of Service, which GACRA has begun drafting with its labour consultant, approval of reviewed job descriptions by the Ghana Health Service Council and Board, and scholarships and sponsorship for conferences and further study.

A dispute that dates back to 2022

In January 2022, CRAs withdrew their services over regulatory issues, and facilities run by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) were among the most affected. A Ministerial Task Force was set up, but the Ministry of Health has not issued a definitive position on its recommendations, according to the report.

The task force warned that the restrictions could deny many Ghanaians essential services, especially at peripheral facilities, and undermine the goal of Universal Health Coverage by 2030. GACRA pointed to the limited number of anaesthesia providers serving Ghana’s population of more than 33 million.

Nwinsagra acknowledged the potentially serious consequences of a withdrawal for patients, particularly women and children.

The Ghana anaesthetists strike threat therefore raises immediate concerns for maternal health. Caesarean sections and the management of heavy bleeding after childbirth often require anaesthesia at short notice, and many district hospitals have only one or two anaesthesia providers.

Why anaesthesia staffing matters

Safe surgery depends on anaesthesia. Without an anaesthesia provider, district hospitals cannot perform caesarean sections, treat injuries from road crashes or operate on emergencies such as appendicitis. In many low- and middle-income countries, non-physician anaesthetists provide most anaesthesia in district and mission hospitals because physician anaesthetists are concentrated in cities and teaching hospitals.

Global surgery experts estimate that billions of people lack access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care when they need it, and that shortages of trained providers are one of the main reasons. Any withdrawal of services in Ghana would therefore be felt most in rural and district facilities, which address many of the country’s health workforce gaps with non-physician staff.

Dr Hafez Adam Taher, Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, and Dr Ebenezer Oduro-Mensah, Deputy Director of the Clinical Services Development Department at the Ghana Health Service, attended the meeting. Oduro-Mensah acknowledged workforce gaps, encouraged CRAs to take part in emergency care and resuscitation training and said the concerns “would be taken up with the relevant authorities for further consideration.”

Other concerns raised

Nwinsagra also condemned the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies by illegal mining and raised alarm about the abuse of tramadol, painkillers, alcohol and cannabis among young people, calling on the government and the Food and Drugs Authority to strengthen controls.

The Ghana anaesthetists strike threat gives the government less than four weeks to respond. Without a settlement, hospitals that rely on CRAs could be forced to postpone planned surgery and refer emergencies, putting pressure on teaching hospitals that are already busy.

Health policy analysts say the dispute shows the need for clear legal recognition and career paths for mid-level cadres, which many African health systems depend on to deliver surgery outside major cities.

 

 

Why it matters: Anaesthetists make caesarean sections and emergency surgery possible in district hospitals, so a withdrawal would put mothers and children at risk.

 

Source: GhanaWeb, November 2026.