A high-powered government delegation on Monday began a closed-door meeting with members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to discuss the controversy surrounding the payment of their Additional Duty Hours (ADH) allowances to doctors.

The meeting held at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital followed industrial action by doctors at the hospital to demand the full payment of their ADH allowances for May 2001.

The government's delegation included Jake Obetsebi- Lamptey, Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Kwamena Bartels, Minister for Works and Housing, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister for Food and Agriculture and Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance.

Others were Dr E. N. Mensah, Director of Health Services and Dr Holdsbrook Smith, Chief Executive of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The delegation of the GMA included Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, President and Dr J.B. Asare, Head of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. Journalists, who were at the meeting, were not allowed into the meeting.

Doctors at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Friday began an industrial action to demand the full payment of their ADH. The Ministry of Health had given the hospital administration 1.1 billion cedis to be paid as the ADH for health workers, who deserved it but the doctors described it as inadequate.

Claims submitted by the health workers exceeded the amount compelling the hospital management to reduce the number of hours for which the payments were to be made.

Cheques were been given out for the payment of the ADH but the doctors refused to collect them. Doctors have gone on strike many times in the past over the payment of ADH.