Blame any deaths on gov't, not doctors - GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) says government should take full responsibility for any life that may be lost at public hospitals from Monday, April 22, 2013.

General Secretary for the GMA, Dr. Frank Siribuor told Joy News the negotiation team of the GMA is ready to engage government in resolving the issues but government appears not to be ready, “so our members are at home”.

“Government had two weeks to resolve the issues which would have avoided this second phase of the strike but they did not do anything about it,” he said.

The doctors have resolved to activate the second phase of their industrial action beginning tomorrow, which will see them withdraw all emergency services at public hospitals and attend to only in-patients till their discharge.

"This has become necessary because the issues of the conversion difference and reduced pensions have not been resolved as at now," according to a statement issued by the GMA on Saturday.

The strike by the doctors is by far the longest strike by any labour union this year, as it enters day 15.

Dr. Siribuor also denied Sunday’s reported meeting between the Association and some government officials.

He said the leadership of the GMA rather met with some government officials on Friday, which included Health Minister, Sherry Ayittey along with her colleague from the Employment and Labour Relations Ministry, Nii Armah Ashittey but that yielded not results.

According to him, the meeting was inconclusive because the representatives of government as well as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission appeared not to have the mandate to engage them in the negotiations.