Accra, May 2, GNA - The Ministry of Health, on Friday urged the striking junior doctors at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), to call off their strike action and return to work while their grievances were resolved.

A statement signed by Dr. George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Minister of Health, said " It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Health that some junior doctors of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have embarked on a strike action in connection with the non-revision of their salaries since 2006 and the delay in the payment of fuel allowances due them." It explained that the prolonged negotiations of the salaries of doctors, which was started in 2006, was not confined only to junior doctors at the KATH but affected all health professionals in the public health sector. "This matter has, since the assumption of the Minister of Health two months ago, engaged the attention of the Minister, in particular, and the Ministry as a whole."

The statement said work on this matter was on-going and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) would be consulted within the next five days to enable both government and the GMA to conclude the matter as soon as practicable. It said in respect of the outstanding fuel allowances, government had already approved the payment of fuel allowances to doctors and other analogous grades in the health sector.

The statement said payment of these allowances had been decentralized and was to be effected by the respective facilities from their internally generated funds. It said "Accordingly, the Chief Executive of KATH and all other heads of the other facilities are hereby directed to settle all outstanding fuel allowances owed to doctors and other health workers within one week from date of issue of this press release, or where Heads of the facilities are unable to make payments within the said one week, they must come to an agreeable arrangement with the representatives of the beneficiaries of these allowances. Any head who fails to comply with this directive will be duly sanctioned".

The statement commended all junior doctors at KATH who, despite the resolution adopted by some of their colleagues last night to embark on a strike action, were still working to care for their unfortunate sick fellow citizens and to save lives. It assured all residents in the Kumasi Metropolitan area and all Ghanaians that everything was being done to ensure that there was no disruption in delivery of health care.