At last, the members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have called off their three-week old strike.
A statement signed by the GMA’s President and General Secretary last Friday directed all of its members to resume both emergency and Out Patients Department (OPD) Services on Monday.
We of Public Agenda appreciate the rescission made by the GMA, however late, since it will abate the rate of reported deaths at the various public health facilities nationwide, and patients will receive medical attention.
The fatal consequences of the strike were unbearable as patients were compelled to seek alternative measures to address their ailments. There is the high probability that many might resorted to unconventional and unhygienic methods, practices which do not inure to the health benefits of users and therefore should not be encouraged. But we should not be too hard on those who might have employed such methods because those were perhaps the only options available, considering all other relevant variables.
We remind Government that the resumption of duty by the doctors should not be regarded as a cue for a lull in negotiations, plans and positive actions taken to address the concerns of the doctors in respect of a codified conditions of service document. Government must complete whatever it has started without further delay in order to avert such strikes, which bring untold hardships to the disadvantaged poor sections of the society. Indeed, it is unacceptable, counterproductive and pro-industrial unrest arrangement if labour is hired without a documented conditions of service.
We also want to reiterate the point that the President must check the language of members of Government’s communication team. Some of the pronouncements, remarks and comments that came from the team in the wake of the doctors’ strike were irritating to say the least. At best, those statements rather fuelled the strike and worsened the situation.
Similarly, we appeal to the doctors to soften their stand a bit and accept some reasonable compromises, considering the state of the nation’s coffers. We do not think ordinary citizens should die over issues pertaining to their conditions of service, and that is why we congratulate them on their decision to go back to work. It is a victory for healthcare delivery and victory for mother Ghana.
Source : Public Agenda
