COMMENT: While the election petition bores us to death, people are dying in our hospitals

The election petition is taking up time. It is taking up precious resources. It is tarnishing Ghana’s international reputation as a gem in an otherwise unstable region. And most of all, it is extremely boring.

But as it drags on, day after day, as lawyers stumble their way through the proceedings, people are dying in Ghana’s hospitals as the doctors’ strike enters its third week.

If people die in the country’s hospitals unnecessarily even when doctors are on duty, then lives are definitely being lost when they are not there.

Instead of televising the mundane proceedings of the election petition, televise the turmoil going on in unstaffed A&E departments, let the people see what is happening in Ghana. Let the whole world see screaming, terrified women struggle to give birth without the help of a doctor. Let them see gas explosion victims in agony be treated by national service personnel instead of specialists. Let them see the confusion on old, sick people’s face as they arrive at empty hospitals.

Ghanaians have demonstrated over the disputed elections in Canada. They have gone on hunger strike in Ireland, they have marched in London and descended upon the White House. The international community and, indeed, the international media does not seem to care.

Why not demonstrate over the doctors’ strike? Why not go on hunger strike over Ghana’s deplorable maternal health rates? Why not sign petitions to increase the quality of Ghana’s healthcare delivery?

John Mahama has been relatively silent on the issue of the doctors’ strike. Perhaps that is because if he or any of his family falls sick he will be jetted out of Ghana to a hospital in the US or South Africa, like presidents and ministers have always done. They do not care because they do not need to set foot in government hospitals for treatment.

The election petition will drag on and on but so too will the strikes if something is not done. There is no time to waste. Every moment wasted can be a life lost.

Ghana has reached a precipice, a turning point. It is time to stop this election petition nonsense, it is time to stop looting this country, it is time to silence the talking heads and get serious about the lives of Ghanaians.

It is time.

What do you think about the doctors' strike? Read Dr Boateng's GhanaWeb health blog on the recent strikes here.