Doctors’ strike, Kadhafi’s death highlighted in media

Doctors’ strike Kadhafi’s death - The two-week-old strike by medical doctors in public hospitals that is wreaking havoc in the health sector and the death of Libya’s former ruler, Mouammar Kadhafi, occupied the front pages of newspapers in Ghana this week. Doctors have been locked in a deadly confrontation with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission over their placement on a new public sector salaries structure for two weeks with neither side willing to budge. The doctors have continued to brush aside calls from the president, Council of State, the clergy, civil society organisations and the labour commission to return to work while negotiations continue. “Doctors' strike palaver - Government to contain situation”, was the headline of the state-owned Daily Graphic when the week opened. It said President John Evans Atta Mills had rolled out “comprehensive contingency measures” to contain the impact of the strike by doctors in public hospitals across the country.

As part of the measures, he has directed the scaling up of facilities at the 37 Military and Police Hospitals in Accra to take care of patients being denied much-needed health services as a result of the strike.

According to a statement signed by the Minister of Communications and acting Health Minister, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, the Medical Reception centres of the military in the Garrisons in Ho, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Sunyani and Accra had also been asked to hold themselves in readiness to assist in the containment measures.

The version of the Ghanaian Times on the story had the headline: “Government moves to resolve crisis.”

The Graphic carried a story on a closed-door meeting between the doctors and the Council of State, whose Chairman, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, called for a speedy resolution of the rumpus to enable doctors resume work.

He said the situation had almost reached crisis point and must be dealt with quickly to enable sanity prevail in the health sector.

The meeting was held at the instance of Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and came after similar meetings had been held between the association and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and some religious bodies.

“Doctors strike to end as FWSC and GMA optimistic of accord” was another story carried by the Graphic.

It said the impasse between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and GMA over the migration of doctors onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) could soon be over, as indications were that the two parties were optimistic about reaching an agreement on the outstanding issues within 48 hours.

At a compulsory arbitration meeting in Accra on Monday, the two parties informed the National Labour Commission (NLC) that they had held consultations earlier and were hopeful of reaching an agreement within the next two days.

They, therefore, requested for the suspension of the arbitration process for them to continue with the negotiations and report back to the NLC on 19 October. But that did not happen.

The Ghanaian Times had a story with the headline “Labour commission directs doctors to return to work.”

The story said the NLC had directed the Ghana Medical Association to call off the strike immediately and return to work while negotiations continued on their placement on the single spine salary structure.

A statement by NLC said in view of the inability of FWSC and GMA to reach an agreement during the last 48 hours on outstanding issues hindering the migration of doctors onto the SSSS as requestedon Monday, the NLC had referred the dispute to a compulsory arbitration.

The Ghanaian Times published a story on a statement issued by Catholic Bishops’ Conference on the strike under the headinline “For the sake of the vulnerable, resume work – Catholic Bishops.”

It said the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference had appealed to the striking doctors to return to work and save lives while negotiations on their remuneration continued.

“While we want our doctors to receive adequate remuneration for their work, we do not want human lives to be lost as a result of this strike,” the bishops said in a statement.

The Graphic's version had the headline ”Go back to work, Catholic Bishops plead with doctors.”

On the death of the former Libyan leader, the Ghanaian Times had the headline: 'Qathafi killed” and it said the Libyan leader, Mouammar Kadhafi had been killed by forces of the new regime in their final assault on the pocket of resistance in his birth place, Sirte.

“We announce to the world that Qathafi has been killed at the hands of the revolution,” National Transitional Council (NTC) spokesman, Abdel Hafez Ghoga, said on Thursday in the eastern city of Benghazi.

“It is an historic moment. It is the end of tyranny and dictatorship. Qathafi met his fate”. Ghoza was quoted as saying.

It also had a series of stories under the headline “World reacts to Qathafi’s death”.

The Graphic’s headline was “Qathafi killed - After weeks of deadly battle in Sirte”.

The story said Libya’s ex-leader, Kadhafi, was reportedly killed yesterday (Thursday) after an assault on his home town of Sirte.

It said it is unclear how he died but it is believed that he might have been shot in the abdomen after his capture in Sirte.

The newspaper also had a series of stories under the headlines “Qathafi’s last hours in Sirte” and “Reactions from around the world.”