Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei, GMA President and Alex Segbefia (MoH) in enhanced photo
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) says attempts by the government to get them to return to the consulting rooms by playing to the crowd will not sway them.
“The government is playing to the crowd, but we are not going to the play to that card. We are not children for us to fall for those tricks.”
“We issued notice to the government about our conditions of service not just yesterday or today. By almost ten years, we have been informing them. Apart from that, on November 9, 2014, we served the government notice by giving it about seven months to solve the matter but they didn’t mind us.”
“Not even acknowledging receipt of the notice that we served them. So, what prevented them from negotiating with us? What they are doing are all tricks, but they will not move us,” Deputy General Secretary of the GMA, Dr. Justice Yankson told Kwaku Owusu Adjei in an interview on Si Mi So on Kasapa 102.3 FM on Monday.
He said the GMA will continue with the withdrawal of their services to the Out Patients Departments of all public hospitals, as well as Emergency situations until the government gives them a negotiated signed document spelling out their conditions of service.
The doctors have been on strike for almost a month over demands for their conditions of service.
Their negotiations with government have stalled, painting a gloomy picture of the situation. Reports are rife that over 500 lives have been lost as a result of the strike action by the doctors.
Services to the OPDs and Emergency situations have all been grounded with the exception of in-patients (patients on admission).
The doctors are said to have rejected a proposal submitted to them during the weekend.
But Dr. Yankson, speaking further over the matter, described those reports as false.
According to him, the GMA has never received any proposal from the government and dared those making such allegations to show documentary proof to buttress their claim.
He said they have for the past years been classified under workers providing essential services to the nation but noted there is no difference between “essential service providers” and other public sector workers.
“What have we gained from that tag of essential services? We don’t recognize that tag at all. It is just a lip service. There is nothing to back it. That is why we are saying the slavery must stop.”
