Doctors' strike is illegal and insensitive – Govt
The government has maintained that the ongoing strike by the Ghana Medical Association is illegal, unfounded and insensitive. A
statement signed by the Minister of Information and Media Relations,
Mahama Ayariga, also accused the doctors of peddling falsehood in the
media.
“Government wishes to remind members of the Ghana Medical
Association (GMA) that their current strike action is illegal and their
claims in the media that government is refusing to abide by the ruling
of the National Labour Commission (NLC) are false.”
The statement
also observed that the “distortion of facts and issues” the GMA was
bringing on the table for discussions “cannot be allowed to continue
especially when members of the GMA working in government hospitals have
been regularly paid their salaries”.
The presidency in the
statement also directed the Ministry of Health to ensure that all
previously announced remedial measures are fully activated and
implemented to guarantee the citizenry a right to proper medical care
during the period that the doctors remain on their illegal, unfounded
and insensitive strike so as to avoid the death of innocent Ghanaians
even as the doctors continue to draw on their salaries.
The NHIS
cardholders were also reminded to access health facilities at the
various private and mission hospitals and clinics across the country.