Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has expressed his disappointment at the decision by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to embark on a strike action.
To him, the industrial action by the doctors is unfair especially to other members of society.
The GMA, on Friday asked its members to embark on a strike action in protest against delays in the migration of doctors onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
But contributing to discussions on Peace FM�s Kokrokoo Morning show, Mr. Pratt said it was unfair on the part of members of the medical association to lay down their tools simply because they consider their salary as meager, stressing that eventhough no Ghanaian worker is satisfied with his or her wages, none holds the government to ransom by such drastic action.
According to him, it is shocking that doctors will watch innocent patients die because they are dissatisfied with what they earn as salary, but they (doctors) will annoyingly rush to save the life of a minister, should he or she fall sick, whiles the common man on the streets is left to his fate.
�The whole strike action is grossly unfair�who at all is ever satisfied with what he or she earns as salary in Ghana?...So if we all decide to embark on a strike action because we consider our salaries not to be commensurate with the kind of work we do, what will happen to the country? Don�t you think the economy will grind to a halt? What about the laborers cleaning the hospitals; is their salary enough? If doctor�s salary is not enough then what about the laborer?� he stated.
He described the strike action by the doctors as a betrayal of trust and a complete blackmail because they (doctors) believe the government will be forced to quickly attend to their grievances so as to prevent the loss of lives of innocent patients.
�I understand till date the GMA has not filed a complaint with the National Labour Commission (NLC) regarding this issue with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. They should have filed a complaint with the NLC for compulsory arbitration so that it can be resolved at once but they did not do so because they (doctors)�believe the government will cave in to their demands�this is blackmail,� he added.
Sounding quite emotional about the issue, the seasoned journalist also called for the depoliticisation of the strike action by the doctors, stressing that every government from the era of Kutu "Acheampong experienced a strike action by doctors so the opposition should not be overly-excited and government must not get worked up over the issue and accuse the doctors�.
�It is time government sat down with the doctors, identify the root cause of their constant strike action, address the concerns and resolve it immediately,� Kwesi Pratt said.
Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/Peacefmonline.com
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