The Ghana Medical Association (GMA), along with several health unions and associations, has called on President Akufo-Addo to impose an immediate ban on all small-scale mining operations, both legal and illegal.
This urgent appeal stems from the escalating destruction of the nation’s forest reserves and water bodies, as well as the significant public health and environmental risks posed by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Among the groups advocating for this action are the GMA, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), the Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA), and the Health Services Workers Union of Ghana (TUC).
Other signatories include the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU), the Mortuary Workers’ Association of Ghana (MOWAG), the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anesthetists (GACRA), the Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana (HASAG), and the Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA).
In a statement issued on Friday, the unions cautioned that Ghana faces an imminent environmental disaster that, if not promptly addressed, will pose severe threats to the health and future of its people.
“As Associations and trade unions representing health sector employees, we make the following demands: The President should immediately impose a total ban on all small-scale mining, whether legal or illegal.”
They further urged the government to bolster regulatory enforcement by equipping security agencies to crack down on violators and ensure swift prosecution.
Additionally, the unions called on all political parties to publicly commit to combating illegal and unethical mining by signing and publishing formal declarations.
Read the full statement from the Unions below:
Source: Adomonline
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