COMOG calls for a truce between government and Doctors

The leadership of the Coalition for Muslim Organizations of Ghana on Tuesday appealed to members of the Ghana Medical Association to add human face to their strike action to avert further suffering of patients in health facilities.

They have also appealed to government to expedite action on the on-going negotiations that would enable the doctors to return to work.

This was contained in a statement signed by Hajj Abdul Manan, National Programme Coordinator of the COMOG and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

Hajj Manan said although the doctors had the legitimate right to negotiate for better working conditions for their members, it was also necessary to sympathize with patients that were likely to lose their lives on account of their action.

“We cannot for now give exact figures of deaths as a result of their action, but it is a fact that we have lost a significant number of lives in their two-week strike action,” the Coordinator added.

The Programme Coordinator urged government through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to work out the modalities that would bring satisfaction and consensus between the doctors and government to bring lasting relief to patients at health centres.

“When two elephants fight, it is definitely the grass that will suffer, and our patients who are in this case the grass, do not need to endure pain at the expense of the impasse between government and the GMA.

Hajj Manan also called on other doctors not participating in the action and the paramedicals to put their acts together to support the skeletal staff at various health facilities to avoid deaths.