Dr. Opoku Adusei, the President of Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is begging politicians not to reduce the doctors’ conditions of service negotiation to personal and partisan approach as perceived by some communicators of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Solomon Nkansah, the Communications Officer of the ruling National Democratic Congress on Peace Fm’s evening political talk program dubbed ‘The Platform’ accused members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) as professionals in bed with the opposition New Patriotic Party.
Few days after Solomon Nkansah’s allegation, another NDC communicator, Yeboah Boateng on Hot Fm said the government is tired of the insensitive demands of the doctors; urging other doctors who are in support of Mahama led administration to return to their various hospitals.
It is against this backdrop that the GMA boss on Okay Fm’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show has emphasized that their demand for conditions of service has nothing to do with any political party except the government whose responsibility is to ensure progress in the lives of Ghanaians.
“We don’t have any issue with any political party but with the government of Ghana which is supposed to take care of us. We should not reduce this demand to political party and individual levels,” he urged.
He bemoaned that the people who are heavily condemning the doctors for their demand of the conditions of service are greatly enjoying the same benefit; adding that others are commenting on this without understanding the issue on board.
He therefore highlighted that the Wages and Salaries commission has all the documents covering job assessment on category 2 and 3 allowances but the categories have either not been reviewed since 2006 or under single spine in 2010.
He however debunked the assertion that the single spine salary structure took care of the conditions of service of the medical doctors and other sectors; quizzing “if the single spine took care of our condition of service, why are they meeting us on this demand?”
He implored their critics to be silent on the negotiation issue of the conditions of service and allow the experts in the negotiation team to handle the situation in public.