The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has keenly followed the slant of media reportage and public commentary surrounding the statement by the GMA President in which he acknowledged the existence of high mortalities within the healthcare delivery system. While this has attracted some unfortunate headlines quoting doctors as calling for patients to die, others have been equally uncharitable in their take on the matter.
The GMA wishes to state that the statement has been largely misconstrued. We clarify further that far from being a reflection of the lack of respect of doctors for the sanctity of human life or the absence of concern for same, the statement simply sought to point out the existence of high mortalities in the health system and to caution against any haste to directly attribute all mortalities to the industrial action embarked upon to press home legitimate concerns of our members. Ghanaian doctors do indeed value the sanctity of human lives. Additionally, we point out that other avenues also remain open to members of the general public to address their emergency health needs. Specifically, it is worth pointing out that those doctors in the Military and Police establishment being recalled to offer emergency services are members of the Ghana Medical Association.
This demand for fairness and objectivity on the new salary structure is one that ought to be supported by patients themselves in order to guarantee the laying of a sound basis for the new single spine salary structure that will stand the test of time. This will leave doctors sufficiently motivated to do what they love doing best; saving human lives. The general public is also assured that this decision to embark on an industrial action has not been a knee jerk reaction from doctors but is a culmination of the breakdown in over one and half years of negotiations to which the Ghana Medical Association has been an active participant while showing the needed good faith needed for successful negotiation.
Thank you
Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey
General Secretary