Gov’t to ‘do everything possible’ to avert GMA strike

The Ministry of Health has given a strong indication it will do all it can to avert an intended strike by members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

At the end of the 4^thNational Executive Council Meeting at Jirapa in the Upper West Region, the Association outlined a number of issues, including incentive packages it wants the government to address by Sunday, August 5.

It said should government fail, it will from the next day, Monday, August 6, begin a nationwide strike with the withdrawal of outpatient services at the various public health facilities and ultimately withdraw all services by Monday, August 27.

READ: Healthcare delivery to grind to a halt next week as doctors threaten nationwide strike

But speaking on 3FM‘s Sunrise on Monday, July 30, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health Robert Cudjoe said government will treat the issue with a sense of urgency to avoid consequences that characterize doctors’ strike.

“In fact the doctors’ issue is very critical. They have said it a couple of times and I heard [Sunday] about its intended strike and I said the government will do everything possible to ensure that this strike is averted because we all know about the consequences of embarking on a strike,” he said.

The doctors are demanding, among others, that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) ceases the financial support it has been offering its partners like Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Ministry of Health, advising, “these non-core expenditures should be suspended”.

Mr Cudjoe said government will do its best to stop the doctors from embarking on their strike.

GMA had earlier in November 2017 given government up to the end of April, 2018 to fulfil an incentive package it had proposed for members.

As to why government defaulted the April ultimatum, Mr. Cudjoe explained there is more to the demands of the Association than meets the eye.

He said government is working tirelessly to address the issues that GMA has raised, noting: “Let us be frank with ourselves, I don’t think whatever anybody demands from government will be met right away”.

He added that government “will have to consult, discuss and see how best some of them, if not all could be implemented” because some of the issues have financial implications.

Source: 3news.com|Ghana

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