Prof. Delle appeals to doctors to return to work

Renowned dermatologist, Professor Edmund N. Delle, has added his voice to calls by Ghanaians asking the striking doctors to return to work whilst they keep on with their negotiations with government.

Prof. Delle, who is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rabito Health Services, and also a human rights activist, whilst understanding the concerns of his colleague doctors, asserted that the lives of innocent people should not be lost “all because negotiations have broken down.”

According to him, Ghanaians have done nothing wrong to deserve that and for that matter called on government to, as matter of urgency, try and come to a compromise with the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) so as to save the country from this mental trauma.

“I find it worrying as a human rights activist when innocent lives are being lost for no any apparent reason, a situation we could have avoided,” the celebrated medical practitioner opined.

The medical doctor turned politician was sharing his views in an interview via telephone on the ongoing strike by the doctors with Today over the weekend.

He could not understand why both parties—the GMA and government—all this while have not been able to resolve this impasse amicably.

Whilst he did not want to say the doctors’ demand was too much considering the size of the country’s economy coupled with the current depreciation of the cedi and energy crisis, in his view a common understanding could have been reached without hurting any party.

Prof. Delle, who is a former national Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), was however not enthused about the recent many agitations at the labour front, which situation, he claimed, was militating g against productivity.

He indicated that no country can develop without “proper” recognition of its working force.

On that score he averred: “government cannot afford to overlook the welfare of the public sector, especially those working in essential areas like the doctors and security officers.”

To this end, he called on GMA and government to cease fire and return to the negotiating table with mutual respect for each other so as to help bring a closure on the matter.

It would be recalled that doctors across the country working with various government hospitals embarked on strike demanding for better conditions of service.

And since the strike started, lives have been lost in the process, a situation many Ghanaians had described, as unfortunate.

President John Dramani Mahama was reported last week to have commented on the strike indicating that his government would not spend anything outside the budget.