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"Nobody must die because of an illegal strike, the strike is illegal, absolutely illegal," - President Mahama said during an interview with Uniq FM on Wednesday.

Lauding moves to deny striking doctors their August salary, President John Dramani Mahama indicated that the planned action falls in line with the Labour laws and will be enforced to ensure sanity.

“The labour law says that nobody should negotiate under duress, and that is what has led us to where we've always come back to...And its's not on doctors alone who are in the business of giving health to people, we have the nurses, we have the midwives, we have the X-ray technicians, we have the laboratory technicians, we have the pharmacists, we even have the cleaners..."

Speaking to State broadcaster Uniq FM to mark World Youth Day, President Mahama questioned why doctors are on strike over conditions government is making efforts to fulfil – “It’s the first time being introduced [conditions of service], so it takes a process”.

“We can’t single out one group of the health workers and accede to those demands...it’s not as simple as it is,” he added.

The president further described the Ghana Medical Association's ongoing strike as “illegal” – after insisting that they must end it - “We are taking remedial actions, and I say they should go back”.

"Even before negotiations begun they declared strike. Nobody must die as a result of an illegal strike. The doctors strike is illegal…The doctors must go back to work while negotiations continue in good faith,” he said.

Members of the GMA have insisted that they will not return to work unless government provides them with their conditions of service. 

The striking doctors are yet to resume work after declaring their nationwide strike two weeks ago.

But the president countered that “If we don’t live by our laws we’ll go back to the jungle” whiles stressing that their demands are being negotiated.

"It's not about 2,800 doctors, it's about another 5,900 and something who are waiting to see what the linkages are and say alright you gave doctors this, we too are demanding this and they can also go on strike," he told the state broadcaster.