Chairman Of Council Of State Appeals To Striking Doctors

The Chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, has made a passionate appeal to the country's striking Medical Doctors to listen to the plea of the President and return to work for the sake of humanity. He said though he appreciates the right of Doctors as humans to fight for the betterment of their economic circumstances, the Medical profession is a unique field which affects the very life of human beings and as such calls for a lot more compassion and circumspection. Prof. Awoonor said the Doctors strikes is having a heavy and devastating toll on the lives of ordinary Ghanaians who reportedly die each day that the Doctors refuse to perform their duties and that the Ghana Medical Association should reconsider their position so that lives could saved. He was speaking in Accra when he commissioned 22-bed Memorial Hospital at Martey-Tsuru, near the Airport Hills. The Chairman of the Council of State maintained that Doctors are a special people who must always know the critical nature of their chosen profession and act or live accordingly. The Chief Executive of the Grace Memorial Hospital, Dr. George Tettegah, said it is the determination of the Management to help save lives and ensure a healthy populace that moved them to set up the medical facility. The church is also amplifying its voice against the doctor�s strike with a passionate appeal to them to call it off. The latest appeal comes from Assemblies of God, Ghana whose General Secretary is Rev. Dr. John Ghartey. In the mean time, reports from Kumasi say the withdrawal of emergency services by doctors in public hospitals, is working in favour of private health institutions. Ashanti Regional correspondent, Thomas Nsowah Adjei told Kpakpo Bruce that such clinics are congested with some handling emergency situations. In Tema, the industrial action embarked by members of the Ghana Medical Association is putting pressure on private health facilities in the Tema Metropolis. A visit round some of the private hospitals shows long queues by patients seeking medical attention. According to a patient, Mrs. Naadu Adams, though the cost is high, she has no option than to pay to save her life. A mother of a four-month old baby, who took her child to a private hospital yesterday for review in a case of malaria, was frustrated because although she arrived at the hospital at 9am, it was not until 4pm that she was able see the Doctor. However, some patients elsewhere were also relieved that some private hospitals are accepting the National Health Insurance card at their facilities. Meanwhile, The Coalition of NGO's in Health say it has filed a law suit against the leadership of the Ghana Medical Association, because it has misled members to embark on strike. Speaking to Radio Ghana's Felix Cofie the Acting National Chairperson of the NGO, Joan Awunyo-Akaba said, the NGO is praying the court to declare the GMA strike illegal.