General News of Monday, 17 February 2003

Source: .

Junior doctors suspend strike

Junior Doctors at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), on Monday temporarily suspended their strike action till March 31, this year.

According to Dr Ishmael Sackey, spokesman for the doctors, the suspension was to allow the negotiation team of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to conclude its work with government. He said the doctors decided to suspend their strike action after the Greater Accra branch of the GMA appealed to them to suspend the action whilst negotiation with government continues.

Dr Koma Jehu-Appiah, Secretary of the GMA said in an interview that the 18 months negotiations on the incentive package for health workers with the government has yielded no fruitful results and it had become necessary to solve it once and for all.

He said,? Some junior doctors have decided not to travel outside for greener pastures but rather choose to work for their country and government should also be able to give them the needed incentive package that would keep them in the country?.

He said the outcome of their negotiations with government would put an end to the issue of strike action once and for all.

A visit to the Children, Maternity, Medical and the Accident wards saw the doctors attending to patients and were as well handling new cases.