Doctors' front cracks over strike

There is empirical evidence that a significant number of doctors of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) are against their extended strike action by two more weeks.

At the doctors' Extraordinary General Assembly meeting last Friday to decide on the way forward, as many as 148 out of 361, representing about 41% voted against the extension of the strike action while 213 representing 59% voted in favour.

The figure is an indication that there are strong dissenting voices against the majority's decision to continue with the strike. But they had no option than to succumb to the majority position since it was a question of majority carrying the vote.

The extension, therefore, defies all the appeals from sections of the society, including highly reputed religious leaders and chiefs, to call off the strike.

The GMA says it is hoping to enter further negotiations with government barring which its members will go on a full blown strike.

Doctors in the public sector about two weeks ago withdrew services to outpatient departments and subsequently extended it to cover emergency services. Several negotiations between the GMA and government have failed to yield any positive result.

The doctors had threatened to return to work only when government provides them with their documented conditions of service.

A doctor with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Osei Tutu told Joy News in an interview that, Government did not show “enough” commitment to negotiate. Dr Osei Tutu said the two weeks extension was to allow Government to come back again with a better offer.

Meanwhile, Dr. Justice Yankson has claimed that news reports that they would be resigning en bloc after Friday was not true. According to him, the doctors had only stated in a road map that if no agreement was reached, they would initiate the processes that would culminate in their resignation.

Some of the doctors came from as far as the Northern Region to join their colleagues in Accra for the crucial decider. The consequences of this decision are expected to be seriously grave for the health sector.

In a related development, a Labour Expert, Kwesi Danso Acheampong, has expressed concern that the doctors are using illegal means to achieve a legal demand. "The doctors will never get their conditions of service unless they go back to the negotiation table," he told Joy News.

Mr Danso Acheampong advised the doctors to learn from the Judicial Service workers who called off a strike recently after the Fair Wages Commission had directed they enter into compulsory arbitration as prescribed by law.

Government will be highly disappointed with the doctors having held a crunch meeting with them on Friday, pleading that they resume work while negotiations continue.

Talks between the striking doctors and government have stalled on several occasions: the doctors say Government has not been negotiating with them in good faith and has blamed Government negotiators for deliberating leaking confidential documents presented at the negotiating table to make them look bad.

Government, on the hand, has said it cannot negotiate under duress- while the doctors' strike continues. Meanwhile, the situation at private, police and military hospitals remain dire as increased patient numbers have brought intense pressure on healthcare delivery.