Government Must Instruct Fair Wages Commission To Act On Doctors Strike

A member of the NPP communications team, Hopeson Adorye has cautioned the government to intervene in the strike action by doctors to expedite resolution measures on their demand for fair salary in single spine salary structure. According to the leading member of �Let My Vote Count Alliance�, the National Health Insurance Scheme beneficiaries are unfairly punished and denied of their rights to health care services in the country. The public sector doctors have today, Monday, February 11, withdrawn outpatients� clinical services, and are except to attend to only emergencies and inpatients services, of which the Ghana Medical Association hopes to achieve their fair salaries from Fair Wages and Salary Commission. Speaking on Hot FM Monday morning as a panel on a political talk show programme, Hopeson Adorye said that, even though institutions are there to respond to the strike action, government intervention to such sensitive matters as this can save more lives and state resources; in that the government has power to avert the situation. The liberal politician said that, irrespective of the government in power, it is incumbent on the government to facilitate the settlement of doctors� anguish on their salaries since their absence can cause more death in the country. Hopeson Adorye reiterated that the purpose of government intervention is to achieve its vision in the health sector and to stop the brain drain syndrome where doctors travel outside the country to seek better incentives, adding that, �the motivation of doctors in Ghana is very poor and it is high time we do something about it to cushion them to work since they have families to care for.� Public sector doctors threatened to withdraw their services from Monday, February 18, 2013, over issues arising from their migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). But the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Mr George Smith-Graham, said their action was premature. The doctors have threatened to start with the withdrawal of outpatient clinical services from Monday, February 11 to February 17, 2013 and attend to only emergencies and inpatient services. That would be followed with the total strike on Monday, February 18.