The Coalition of NGOs in Health has commended doctors for returning to work.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the Upper East Region branch of the Coalition , Mr Alagskomah Asakeya Noble , and copied to the GNA in Bolgatanga , said it considered the action of the doctors returning to work as an expression of their love for the country, as it would bring a stop to the several needless deaths.

“In our estimation, you have clearly demonstrated that optimal financial benefits do not form the crux of your choice of the medical profession but the greatest knowledge of the greatest respect Ghanaians for the profession and the desire to save lives even at the peril of your safety. We urge you to maintain this reciprocation in the best interest of Ghana and the profession and to note that realizing this will enable you to maintain or sustain this respect given you and in turn, realize positive benefits to the society”, the statement indicated.

The Coalition also appreciated the positive attitude exhibited by many Ghanaians, especially across the political divide, for not politicizing the issue, and indicated that this clearly demonstrated that irrespective of the partisan differences, when it came to critical issues, the nation was put first.

Whilst expressing its gratitude to the various bodies and affiliations such as chiefs, the clergy, the minority political parties, and the multitude of individuals who contributed in diverse ways to bring the strike to an end, the Coalition urged the National Labour Commission (NLC) to do all that was possible within the law and their professional competencies, to change the perception held by many that the institution lacked political neutrality and the teeth to bite.

It urged government to vote more resources to train more health professionals including physician assistants, to make the sector more competitive.

This, it noted, could be achieved by decentralizing the training of health institutions and providing them with the needed financial resources through the MMDAs.

“Additionally, more resources should be channeled to the improvement of Primary Health Care (PHC) which has the potential to reduce the disease burden on the public thus reducing pressure and frustration on health facilities and staff which are more often the reasons for agitations for more motivations by way of remunerations”, it stated.