Doctors Defy Ghanaians!

GMA Secretary Serebour (L) Health Minister Segbefia (R)

By Ekow Mensah

Less than 500 doctors out of a total of nearly 3000 have defied Ghanaians and decided to continue with the strike action.

Reports say that about 400 doctors met to decide whether to resume work or continue what has been described as their illegal strike with a threat to completely withdrawal all their services.

Sources close to the meeting claim that as many as 148 of the doctors voted for ending the strike.

Before the meeting  leaders of all the political parties in Ghana, leaders of faith based institutions, workers, members of Parliament, chiefs and people from all walks of life pleaded with the doctors to go back to work.

A doctor from the Tamale Government Hospital who doubles as a lecturer at the University of Development Studies told Radio Gold on Monday, that even if the doctors have legitimate grievances they should not be on strike.

Indeed, many commentators who have continuously pleaded with the Government to display some measure of tolerance appear to be getting fed up with the stance of the doctors.

A lawyer Owusu Agyemang from Sunyani says that it is time to apply the full rigours of the law.

He said after defying all Ghanaians and insisting on their strike action, government has no choice but to dismiss the striking doctors.

“We all have a responsibility to end what is illegal and government must realize that it is illegal to continue negotiating with striking doctors” he said.

There are very strong indications that Government may soon initate proper legal processes to declare the strike by doctors illegal.

Editorial

Time to act

The Mahama administration cannot continue to engage in illegalities under the guise of trying to secure an amicable solution to the strike by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

If the law says that the doctors cannot be negotiating whiles on strike, then the Government must do the proper thing by getting the court to declare the strike illegal and apply the appropriate sanctions.

It is time to do what is lawful in the face of the intransigence of the Ghana Medical association.

The GMA has refused to listen to appeals from all sections of the Ghanaian community to go back to work.

The appeals have come from the President of Ghana, faith based organizations and their leaders, Trades Union Congress, political parties, traditional authorities, media houses and even some members of the GMA.

It is instructive that in spite of the apparent illegalities of the strike, government has repeatedly pledged to continue the negotiation.

“The Insight” believes strongly that, the most important issue now is how to get medical care for Ghanaians who need it and nobody should allow the bloated ego of some of the GMA  membersto mess this up.

Government must act quickly and according to law to deal with the strike of the GMA.