Doctors unhappy with attempts to decentralise salaries

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Food and Agriculture is scheduled to begin discussions on the decentralization of salaries of doctors.

The discussion will be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

This was made known to TV3 by Tony Goodman, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health.

The discussion will be a furthering of a proposal announced by Minister of Health Sherry Ayittey last week in Sunyani that doctors will be paid by the district assemblies within which they work.

For the Ministry, the proposal has been there since 1997. “…and this is what government wants to do; to bring back [the decentralization policy],” Mr. Goodman said.

However, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has raised doubts over the feasibility of the move, describing it as unfair.

“We wouldn’t allow our members to suffer for nothing,” said Dr. Justice Yankson, the Deputy General Secretary of the Association.

“Why not pilot it to other professionals? We believe that if you are handing over a whole hospital to the district together with all the associated staff and not only doctors, that will be fair.”

According to the GMA, such a policy should include even Members of Parliament “to give true meaning of decentralization,” Dr. Yankson added.