Doctors Threaten Aluta

Reminiscent of the days of the previous NPP administration where there was always a tango between health professionals and the governments, doctors in the country�s health institutions have once again threatened another showdown in the form of what can be termed as �aluta� the Mills-led NDC government over the usual stalemate in respect of salary matters. Coming at the heels of a recent showdown with government to junior doctors in the country�s health institutions, notably the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital, which led to a slow down in health delivery, the President Mills-led NDC government is expected to face another massive confrontation from the medical practitioners, who are bracing themselves up for a big battle over salary adjustment issues. The tango, which has the potential of possibly plunging the entire country into yet another health crisis, culminates from what the doctors see as feet-dragging tactics adopted by the Mills administration. Reliable information from the camp of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) says the imminent showdown has become necessary as a result of the decision by the President Mills-led government of the NDC to pay 10% salary adjustment to all public sector workers as against the 12% which was proposed by the medical doctors. The medical doctors have kicked against the government�s decision to pay across board to all public sector workers 10% salary adjustment as against the 17%, which was earlier agreed on by all interested parties at negotiating table with the previous government. In a press release last Friday by the National Executive Committee of the Ghana Medical Association, the medical doctors sent a clear signal of their opposition to that move by the government and have vowed to resist attempts to include them in the salary adjustment, which they have described as break of faith on the part of government. The doctors stated categorically in their release that they were disappointed at the turn of events and said they were shocked at government�s inability to meet their legitimate concerns and expectations. The release, signed by Dr. E. Adom Winful, said it is the intention of GMA leadership to file for compulsory arbitration on the matter at the National Labour Commission (NLC). The doctors are of the view that, the arbitration by the NLC would help resolve the matter amicably failure of which they would advise themselves, a source close to GMA said in an interview last Friday. Independent