The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and several other health unions and associations have issued a urgent call to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately ban all small-scale mining operations in the country.
This appeal comes in response to the devastating impact of small-scale mining, also known as galamsey, on Ghana’s environment and public health.
The GMA is joined by other prominent health unions and associations, including 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 to the statement 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 (HASAG), and the Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA).
In a statement issued on Friday, the groups warned that Ghana is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe that threatens the health, well-being, and future of its citizens.
The statement emphasized the need for immediate action to address the environmental and public health threats posed by galamsey.
The groups demanded that President Akufo-Addo direct a total ban on small-scale mining operations with immediate effect, whether legal or illegal.
They also called on the government to strengthen regulatory enforcement and resource security agencies to clamp down on those who flout the directive.
Furthermore, the groups urged all political parties to make a public declaration and publish a signed document committing to fight illegal and unethical mining activities in Ghana.
The statement concluded by emphasizing the need for collective action to protect Ghana’s environment and public health from the devastating impacts of galamsey.
