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A former National Security Adviser, Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, has dared the striking medical doctors to go ahead and resign en masse.


He has further urged them to hand over the keys to the government bungalows they are occupying, when submitting their resignation letters.

That, he noted, would enable government to readily accommodate doctors who would be contracted elsewhere to deliver healthcare to Ghanaians, the two-time retired Chief of Defence Staff stated in an interview on Friday.

Some time ago, the Institute of Economic Affairs held a meeting on governance and corruption and I met Dr. Serebour and I took an issue with him, when he told me that they were going to embark on mass resignation. I told him that if you want to embark on mass resignation, you can go ahead but make sure that you will add the keys to your bungalow to the resignation letter that you will write and go.”

“This is because government has a duty to bring in somebody to come and look after Ghanaians. When I said this, he was taken aback,” Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah said.

His comments were in reaction to the strike by medical doctors in public health facilities who are protesting against their conditions of service.

Commenting further, Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah said he was of the view that the doctors should not be paid while on strike.
“While on strike, you do not have to be paid. It is something that is bothering my mind.”

He added that he was finding it very difficult to believe why the medical doctors should embark on strike while negotiating with their employers.

He argued that since the matter bothered on human security, it would be in the interest of the doctors and the country for them to return to work.

“It is not right to go on strike and watch people die. Will you be able to bring back to life all the people who have lost their lives as a result of your action once you are paid?”

He added “this is not the first time the doctors are withdrawing their services. During General Acheampong’s regime, a similar problem happened and the doctors withdrew their services. Acheampong then brought in Romanian doctors. In Rawlings time too, it happened and he brought in Cuban doctors. So, the government has a duty to look after Ghanaians. The government cannot abdicate that responsibility. It has to take action.”

When asked whether he has advised the government accordingly with his proposal, he answered in the negative.