“The Ministry of Health has expressed surprise at the decision of the junior doctors of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to withdraw their services. In a statement signed by the Honourable Samuel Owusu Agyei, Deputy Minister of Health, the Ministry stressed that following the communiqué signed by the Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs on Additional Duty Hour Allowance, (ADHA) restructuring in April, it has not relented in its efforts to ensure prompt payment of the new salaries to all health workers in the public sector.
“It pointed out that though the Mapping Consultants had initially faced a lot of problems such as delays in the submission of staff data, the Teaching Hospital and almost all other health agencies, the exercise has now been completed and the remaining processes have been initiated to ensure the implementation of the new salary scales as well as payment of arrears.
“The Ministry has therefore appealed to the doctors to resume work since the Ministry of Health had already given the assurance that all those agencies which would complete the validation and correction of their staff data would receive payment by the first week in June, 2006”. (Daily Guide of Wednesday, May 31, 2006).
The purpose of this write-up is to debunk the erroneous impression being peddled by the unfriendly friends and political atavists that the current industrial action being undertaken by the Doctors is at the instigation of the New Patriotic Party, aka Nipa Pa Party or Ameyo Tuwo Party. Strikes have been happening in this country and all over the world and will continue till thy kingdom come. But the most important thing is the ability of the government of the day to adopt pragmatic approach to resolve the issue.
When one compares how Kufuor’s NPP Government handled the nationwide strike embarked by doctors all over the country with the lame and retrogressive way our fumbling and wobbling Baba Go Slow is handling the current one, one cannot help but come to the conclusion that, infact, this government is inept in everything including the basic means of resolving crisis. Sometimes I wonder if our friends in the Nefarious Destructive Cancer even discuss or seek advice from their family members before they come public to unleash their venom and end up by exposing their ignorance. In fact, a little learning is a dangerous thing. You either drink deep or taste not. But our unfriendly friends in the nefarious contraption will drink with the head, mouth, nose and every part of their body to the extent that most of them are not sane for the greater part of the of the day.
Kufuor’s handling of the crisis was devoid of insult. Infact, he exhibited a lot of maturity and statesmanship during the period. He reined in his ministers and appointees and one never heard of any unwise or reckless statement from any NPP member. The above extract from the Daily Guide gives us inkling as to the way the NPP government handled the Doctors’ strike at Korle Bu. In the case of the one by doctors all over the country, Kufuor had to delay his trip by some hours in order to hold crucial and successful deliberations with the doctors. He took a personal interest in the negotiations and the matter was resolved before he travelled. The strike never went this long. Compare this with our President’s way of dealing with the situation. The President just made an appeal to them a few days after the strike action had begun. And it wasn’t that it action was spontaneous. No, far, from it. The Doctors had given prior notice that if their demands were not met by certain they would go on strike. But the NDC Government adopted a wait and see attitude. Their callous, uncomplimentary, uncouth and reckless accusations and utterances against doctors at times make me wonder if they have not just been released from hell to come and torment us.
Rojo Mettle Nunoo had tutored some Venezuelans the art of engaging in drugs without being caught. He has proved beyond all reasonable doubts that when it comes to the making of reckless statements, he stands second to none. When the Nurses went on strike, Rojo called them stupid. It is also on record the insult he heaped on ex-President, Kufuor when the latter was still President of the country.
How can we have a whole Deputy Minister of Health come out openly to tell doctors to resign their appointments and go into private practice if they, the striking doctors were not satisfied? And if the doctors resign enmasse, would our problems be compounded. What contingency measures has he put in place in anticipation of the doctors resignation? At the moment we complain about the doctor-patient ratio in the country. What then would happen if the doctors also dare him and challenge him to sack them? But are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. After all, did Akua Sena Danso not condemn ex President Kufuor for his free medical treatment for pregnant women in the country. And her reason? It has resulted in a lot of teenage pregnancy. And Ghanaians, particularly her constituents are looking unconcerned as she goes on making one reckless statement after the other.
Now back to our Rojo who appears to lack confidence in his ability to handle his assigned portfolio. You remember he was publicly rebuked by his boss, Joseph Yiele Chireh, on account of some unauthorized remarks he had made. But it baffles me to find out that this man is not ashamed but still has the face and voice to make such a reckless statement after suffering humiliation in an unprecedented manner when he was bypassed during the search for a stop gap minister when the sector minister did the unthinkable. He was the Deputy Minister of Health. If for any reason, the substantive minister is unable to discharge his duties, one would expect that he, Rojo would be the next person in the line of succession, even if it were only for a day or so. But it never happened. A colleague of his from another ministry was brought in to head the Ministry in an acting capacity.
This act by the Presidency goes a long way to reveal that he, Rojo Mettle Nunoo has lost the confidence of the President and what any self respected person would do under such a circumstance is to throw in the towel. But will Rojo take the bait? I doubt it!
Initially, when they embarked on the action, the doctors attended to patients on admission. It was new ones they were not taking in and also affected the out patients department. But when the government sponsored insults reached a crescendo, the strike action also reached a crescendo.
Hear Fred Agbenyo, the satanic agent describing striking doctors as murderers, Armed robbers and criminals. But between Fred Agbenyo who does not hold any official position in government, apart from jumping from one radio station to another to espouse lies but has a car allocated to him, draws free fuel from the fuel Castle Depot and collects a huge estacode from public purse and the hardworking and discriminated against doctors whose only crime is to demand what rightly belongs to them, who is the armed robber, the murderer and the criminal?
Isn’t it utterances like the ones emanating from the mouths of the likes of Satanic Agent, Fred Agbenyo which have pushed the doctors to take an entrenched position on the matter? The reckless statements from Fred Agbenyo have depicted him as the murderer, the armed robber and the criminal. What official position does he hold in Baba Go Slow’s government? What work do others like Abbas, Samuel Otukonor, and Agbesi Nutsu do that they should be paid so much – moneys which could have gone to support government to implement the SSSS for the doctors?
The doctors have not committed any crime. They are only asking for what rightly belongs to them – Put them on the Single Spine. You see the doctors Government have recalled from Leave to both the Police Hospital and the 37 Military Hospitals are all on the Single Spine. Do not forget that both the Military and the Police are on it. So, what is the big deal there?
You see, the actual murderers, armed robbers and criminals in the country are people like their General Secretary, Asiedu Nketiah, who in fragrant disregard of the constitution of the country, is on the Board of the Bui Dam Project but has awarded contract to himself to be supplying blocks to the Authority on daily basis. Why blocks from other contractors cost as low as 60pesewas each, that of Asiedu Nketiah costs as high as Ghc1.60 each and Asiedu Nketiah supplies more than two thirds of the blocks needed on daily basis. So on daily basis, Asiedu Nketiah smiles to the bank with more than 400 million old Cedis.
And this is ill-gotten wealth. Readers will recall that one of the reasons given for the overthrow of the Busia’ Government had to do with J.H.Mensah’s continued Directorship of Odumasi Farms long after he had been made a Cabinet Minister. Asiedu Nketiah’s own is unethical, scandalous, and completely anathema to the spirit and ideals of the Constitution of our country. Thus, if we want to talk of criminals, murderers and armed robbers, my good unfriendly friend should direct his searchlight on his own Secretary General. The amount of money he carts to bank on daily basis could have gone a long way to help government put the striking doctors on the SSSS.
When Mills complained of Kufuor leaving no money for the implementation of the SSSS, my answer is that Kufuor left money behind. The Bui Dam was Kufuor’s Pet Project. And the money Asiedu Nketiah is stealing from our purse is the money Kufuor left behind. If our fumbling and wobbling Baba Go Slow had consulted Kufuor as he did when he was unable to access the second catche of the Millennium Challenge Account, the latter, being a patriot would not have hesitated for even a second to tutor him.
But you know one thing. When Busia realized the enormity of the problems confronting Ghana, he and his Cabinet made self sacrifices. He reduced his own salary and that of his cabinet. May be, Mills could take a cue from that. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean. A little from the President, his Vice, and Ministers and the many hangers on and a big chunk from Asiedu Nketiah’s largesse might be a partial antidote to the impending industrial action embarked upon by doctors nation wide. What do you think of this?
Daniel Danquah Damptey (damptey_daniel@yahoo.com) 0243715297
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