A Presidential Staffer, Kwadwo Adu Asare, has described the ongoing strike by public sector doctors as blackmail against ordinary Ghanaians.
According to him, the medical experts are by their industrial action punishing the less privileged populace whose taxes are used in paying the salaries of the doctors.
Doctors in government hospitals last Thursday embarked on strike action after their negotiations with the government hit a snag. The doctors’ boycott of the consulting room has had adverse effect on the health of patients across the country, as they have had to return homes unattended to while the poor health conditions worsens.
There have been reports of three deaths at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in the one week of the doctors’ strike. The doctors have threatened to resign en masse if the government refuses to heed to their demand.
Contributing to a discussion on Asempa FM’s Eko sii sen show Thursday, Hon. Kwadwo Adu Asare stated that the doctors’ action shows that they are simply not ready to sacrifice for the country.
“This country deserves people who are ready to sacrifice for it. The President publicly stated that government appointees are going to have some monies deducted from their salaries for development. Ten (10) % of my salary has been deducted over a period of time amounting to some GHC 860.00 which is to be channeled into building more CHPS compounds in rural areas to aid the delivery of quality healthcare, this is how someone of us are sacrificing for Ghana”.
He stressed that if the doctors are not willing to sacrifice like others are doing currently, they shouldn’t hoodwink the government and punish the ordinary Ghanaians with their strike action.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has served notice that he is not ready to authorize any payment of monies outside the current budget.
He added that if he should heed to the doctors request the Single Spine Pay Policy will be adversely affected, while the floodgates will be opened for other professionals to make huge demands from government.
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
