Doctors in crunch meeting to discuss govt's offer

The leadership of the Ghana Medical Association have been held up in a crunch meeting on Sunday to discuss an offer made by government with regard to their market premiums.

A source close to the leadership told the Ghana News Agency on Friday that some group of chiefs have been holding series of meetings with the leadership of GMA pleading with them to reconsider calling off their strike whilst government dealt with their demands.

“Our meeting will consider all that and take a decision whether to call off the strike or continue with the position by the Association”.

The source was reluctant to give details of the offer made but said the leadership would be meeting to discuss it.

Doctors in public hospitals nationwide on Monday April 8, 2013, embarked on a strike action to press home their demand for payment of arrears owed them. The decision was reached at a National Executive Council meeting of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) held in Kumasi last Saturday.

They will only be attending to emergency cases and also attend to only those on admission, to mark the first phase of the strike action. Second phase of the strike, which would be a total withdrawal of services, would commence on April 15, if their demands are not fully met.

Coincidentally, members of the Ghana Medical Association and Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) also withdrew their service same day as medical doctors to demand the payment of their salary arrears and market premium as negotiated by the FWSC.

In a separate interview with the President of GHOSPA, Mr Stephen Corquaye told the GNA that there has not been any correspondence from government as at close of work on Friday.

He explained there had been some discussions with the National Labour Commission and would meet them again come Wednesday April 17, 2013.

“It will be the outcome of the meeting that will determine whether our position will change. We cannot hold our patients whom we love so much to ransom. We hope something good will come out on Wednesday so we can go back to work”, Mr Corquaye added.