Ahmadiyya Hospital MD appeals to colleagues to end strike

Dr Rafi Khan Ahmed Sehbzade, the Medical Director of the Agona Swedru Ahmadiyya Hospital, has added his voice to calls by Ghanaians to the striking doctors return to work and save precious lives.

He said by the nature of their profession, doctors had sworn an oath to save lives, therefore they would be doing a great dis-service to the nation if because of the current impasse between them and government they allowed patients to die.

Dr Khan made the call through the Press at Agona Swedru in reaction to the on-going strike action by doctors of government hospitals.

He made a passionate appeal to the government to use a diplomatic approach to resolve the matter to prevent further deaths of people.

According to Dr Khan, who is also a missionary and expatriate, the doctors' strike had exerted incessant pressure on mission hospitals, and therefore appealed to them to return to work.

A number of important personalities, including President John Mahama, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, traditional rulers, religious bodies, opposition leaders, among others, have appealed to the doctors to consider the plight of Ghanaians and resume work.

He appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service (GHA) to post more health personnel to mission hospitals to enable them cope with the on- going pressure at various mission health facilities.

He said doctors by their profession did not rest, sleep and travel without tangible reasons, all in the interest of patients, and therefore urged government to deal leniently with them.

Dr Khan said the strike action could affect the financial positions of private and mission hospitals, and could delay the payment of monies in respect of the National Health Insurance Scheme, to service providers.

Mr William Aidoo, Administrator of the Agona Swedru Alhmadiyya Hospital, asked the government to expedite action on negotiations on the doctors' demands, to enable them return to work.

He urged the central government and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to support mission hospitals with equipment and other logistics to enhance health delivery.