Cape Coast, June 12, GNA - A research fellow at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Kodwo Ekumah, at the weekend described the demands being made by the striking doctors as "unrealistic and unreasonable" and urged the government to reconsider funding the education of doctors. He said it took the taxpayers' money to fund their training and they have "no moral justification" to hold the ordinary citizenry "through whose sweat they are what they are today, to ransom". Dr Ekumah, who also described himself as a health programmer, expressed these sentiments in an interview with the GNA at Cape Coast. He suggested that if possible, trainee doctors should be made to bear the full cost of their education and enter into contract with government on their remuneration or choose to go outside the country to work if they so wish.

He said the current situation, where most of these doctors leave the shores of the country after they have had their education funded while those who remain behind make "unreasonable demands", should be an "eye opener" to the government.

Dr Ekumah cautioned that if the demands of the striking doctors were met, there was "going to be a chain reaction from other professionals who would feel they are equally important to the national development process".

He appealed to the doctors to re-consider their decision and get back to work to save the ordinary vulnerable citizens who are now bearing the brunt of their action.