Nana Fredua Agyeman Ofori-Atta, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says he does not see any light at the end of the tunnel concerning the doctors strike action.

Members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) started a strike action on Monday, 8th April, following failure on the part of the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) to abide by the order of the National Labour Commission to pay their market premium arrears for 2012.

They have however indicated that they will attend to patients already on admission as well as attend to emergency cases until April 14, 2013.

Speaking at a press briefing, President of GMA, Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei said the association is not going to “accept any piece meal and verbal solutions from government to our problems, but shall rescind our decision when there is clear evidence that government, through the relevant agencies, has corrected the anomalies and payment is duly made.”

Contributing to a panel discussions during Monday’s edition of ‘Kokrokoo’, Nana Fredua intimated that looking at what the President of the GMA has said, the doctors strike action will last for a long time because so far, government is only giving them ‘verbal solutions’.

“I am convinced the doctor’s strike will keep long because they said they will not take anything that has to do with verbal solutions. The doctors and teachers are on strike because of the various problems in government. The doctors are tired of always hearing words and no action or evidence in their pockets. If this is how the country is going to be governed, we have a serious problem because it seems like nobody is listening to the doctors", Nana Fredua mentioned.

Nana Fredua alluded that if government is able to pay monies in other sectors, he should be able to pay that of the doctors, adding, ‘why wait for someone to die?’

“If government is able to pay other bills how come they can’t pay that of doctors? If we are aware that our loved ones die when doctors go on strike, why don’t we solve their problems before they even think of going on strike? When the people die; is it the fault of the doctors or the government?” he questioned.