The Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia, has lauded heads of health facilities for initiating contingency measures to avert fatalities at the height of the on-going doctors’ strike.

“This is a trying and difficult time for the health sector, but once you are prioritizing, it shows that people are thinking outside the box, I must commend you for this initiative,” he said.

Mr Segbefia made the commendation during a visit to some hospitals in Accra to assess the impact of the nationwide strike declared by the doctors in government health facilities two weeks ago over better conditions of service.

The visit covered the Ridge, the La General and the LEKMA Municipal Hospitals, where most of the out-patient-departments and the various wards were virtually empty.

The Hospitals’ officials justified the situation on patients privy to the strike, thus compelling them to either visit private hospitals or the 37 Military and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals.

While praising efforts by health authorities in managing the impact of the strike, Mr Segbefia appealed to the doctors to rescind their decision and go back to work while negotiations with the government continued.

He expressed joy that some of the health facilities, particularly, the La General and the LEKMA Municipal Hospitals, did not record any fatality, but queried, “how long will this continue, negotiations will always come and go but lives lost can never come back.”

He disclosed that negotiations had gone far, and that his appeal was that the striking doctors should resume work.

The Ghana Medical Association in June warned of a strike action and threatened to resign en-mass if government failed to meet their demands.

Members of the Association later rolled out a road-map, withdrawing out-patient-department services on July 30, and later suspended emergency services on August 7.

The doctors have vowed to withdraw their total services on August 14.