Doctors’ strike: House of Chiefs meets GMA, FWSC

The National House of Chiefs is intervening in the impasse between striking doctors and the government over conditions of service.

Members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have been on strike for three weeks as they press home for improved services.

Negotiations have broken down, but the National Labour Commission has directed both parties to reconvene and report progress Monday, August 24.

The Commission has also directed the GMA to call off its strike immediately, but the aggrieved medical practitioners say they would not budge.

A statement in the name of Wulugu Naba Pugansoa Naa Prof. John S. Nabila, President, National House of Chiefs sent to the Daily Graphic said “the House's intervention is informed by the fact that the effect of the strike on the populace cannot be quantified in any monetary terms as lives lost cannot be replaced."

Urging all parties to reconsider their positions and resort to dialogue since lives lost as a result of the strike had serious effect on the human resource base of the country, the statement said "consequently, the House has decided to mediate between the government and the Ghana Medical Association so as to find a permanent and lasting solution to the problem that has been recurring every year."

The National House of Chiefs also said that as custodians and fathers of the nation, they had taken steps to have the matter resolved, by holding separate meetings with FWSC, as well as the leadership of the GMA to identify the main issue at stake and to facilitate the resolution of the matter.

“In our discussions with the doctors it was clear that they are willing to go back to the negotiating table for an amicable resolution of the impasse. The House appeals to the government to provide a conducive atmosphere for an amicable settlement of the matter.

“We urge all the parties to stop all insinuations, accusation and coaster accusation, blame game and use of unprintable words and be sincere and open for the resolution of the matter,” the statement said.

The chiefs said although both the government and the GMA might have genuine cases, dialogue was needed to resolve the problem in the spirit of win-win, as the war-war position would not help the country.