We will not accept any piecemeal solution - Doctors

The leadership of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has served notice it will not accept any piecemeal solution to their grievances.

President of the Association, Dr Opoku Adusei, issued the warning Sunday as he formally announced the doctors’ strike, which begins on Monday.

The decision to strike was reached at a meeting of the GMA’s National Executive Council held in Kumasi this weekend.

The doctors said they have had no choice but to take the action because government and the Fair Wages Commission (FWC) have consistently flouted directives regarding their grievances by the Labour Commission.

Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor, who was at the news conference addressed by the doctors, reported that the doctors were not happy that they had to decide on a strike before government will act on an arbitration ruling that went in their favour.

The doctors are raising concerns with their grading structure, the calculation of market premium and the grading of two administrative positions.

Dr Opoku Adusei addressing the press conference said, “From Monday, April 8 to Sunday, April 14, 2013, doctors in the public sector shall withdraw all out-patient services and only attend to emergencies and in-patients.”

“From Monday, April 15, 2013, all emergency services shall be suspended whilst in-patient care continues until these problems are solved,” he added.

The GMA president stressed that, “The National Executive Council will like to put on record that the Ghana Medical Association will not accept any piecemeal and verbal solutions to these problems.”

According to him, the GMA will only rescind the strike decision when there is clear evidence that government, through the relevant agencies, has corrected all anomalies and payments have been made.