Striking Doctors to meet on Monday

Accra, June 1, GNA - Striking Doctors in the Greater Accra Region would on June 5 hold an emergency meeting to decide whether or not to call off their strike to press demands for the payment of salary arrears under the new pay structure.

Dr Frank Owusu-Sekyere, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of Ghana Medical Association (GMA), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday that all medical doctors in the Region were on strike to back the demand for their correct salary.

"This decision was arrived at after a meeting held on May 30. It was concluded that all members of the Association, whether Junior or Consultant, are all affected.=94 Dr Owusu-Sekyere noted that there were indications that their monies would not be ready for payment by next week as had been promised by the Government and until they received the last pessewa of their salary they would not return to work.

Junior Doctors on Friday, May 19 withdrew their services asking the Government to pay the difference in their salaries, which had been in arrears from October 2005 to May 2006 under the new salary structure in one tranche.

The Ministry of Health on May 30 appealed to the striking doctors to resume work while the processing of staff data in various health agencies went on for the payment of their arrears by the first week of June.

The GMA and the Management of Korle-Bu Hospital also pleaded with the doctors to call off their action but to no avail. When GNA visited the Accident Centre, Children's Block and the Surgical Department it saw some Senior Doctors and Consultants attending to patients.

The Central Out Patients Department was empty while a few Junior Doctors, who pleaded anonymity, were seen giving helping hand.