The National Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has pleaded with the striking doctors to call off their industrial action and help save some lives.
A statement signed by the NPP chairman also called on Ghana�s President John Evans Mills to meet with the doctors to settle their grievances in order for them to return to their post.
Below is the full statement:
RE: THE DOCTORS� STRIKE; A call to the striking Doctors and to H. E. the President of the Republic
The New Patriotic Party makes this special appeal to our doctors, currently on strike, to alleviate somewhat the suffering of Ghanaians by de-escalating the strike to allow for the treatment of emergency and urgent cases.
As a positive response to this goodwill gesture we call on H. E. the President to take personal ownership and leadership of the crisis.
According to the acting minister of health, communication between the Ghana Medical Association and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has broken down.
This is not the first time doctors have felt compelled to strike. Almost invariably, previous doctors� strikes have followed breakdowns in communication and what doctor�s perceive as examples of bad faith by their employer.
In this instance a President who promised a time for the implementation of the single spine salary, cannot, months later, when the time for that implementation arrives produce an excuse that his government was left no money by his predecessor for him to redeem his promises.
In spite of this, it is only the President, supported by his Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, who can meet with the doctors and re-establish a level of credibility that will allow the doctors to believe any further promises they are given.
We call upon the President to move quickly and end this continuing threat to the health of the people.
Signed
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