Doctors strike: Health Minister will act to avoid needless death – PRO

Authorities at the Ministry of Health are set to meet Executives of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) soon over their intended strike to avoid the loss of innocent lives.

The Medical Doctors have accused government of not showing commitment in resolving some outstanding concerns of the Association.

The GMA at its 4th National Executive Council Meeting held in Jirapa in the Upper West region the Association gave government a one-week ultimatum to address all outstanding issues bordering on doctor’s unemployment or brace themselves for a series of industrial action.

“Effective Monday, August 6, 2018, all doctors working in the public sector shall withdraw outpatients services. This would continue till Sunday, August 9, 2018.

“From Monday, August 20, 2018, to Sunday, August 26, all emergency services will be withdrawn.

“From Monday, August 27, 2018, all services offered by doctors in the public health facilities shall be withdrawn”.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on government to consider transferring the National Health Insurance Levy directly to the NHIL account at the Bank of Ghana and desist from the current practice where the levy is paid to the consolidated fund.

The Association is also appealing to the NHIA to suspended support to partners like the Health ministry and Parliamentarians since they are non-core expenditure.

But the Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Robert Cudjoe has appealed to the GMA to exercise patience and accept an invitation for a meeting when the Ministry makes that request.

“We should come to a compromise and see how best some of the issues raised could be addressed immediately and those which cannot be addressed now could be pushed to another time which would be appropriate to handle them. This is a matter that borders on life and death and so we’re all involved. The Minister will not sit down for the strike action to happen for lives to be lost so I don’t think this is an issue that somebody will laugh over it.”