RESIGN!. Minister Tells Doctors

There appears to be no end in sight for the resolution of the two-week-old strike of doctors in public hospitals as the man charged to bring amicable settlement to the standoff between government and the striking medical doctors asked them to resign if they are not ready to take what is on the table. Deputy Health Minister Rojo Mettle-Nunoo told the doctors to resign because government was not prepared to yield to their demands for improved conditions of service. �The options are clear�the reason for establishing the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission was to establish fair wages. They are free to advise themselves if they think the employer, which is government, is unable to meet their demand; I think they have an option of going into private practice,� Rojo told the striking doctors, who appeared to be ready for the worst. The doctors had asked for their place on the new pay policy, the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) which some government workers have started enjoying. But the Deputy Minister asked the striking doctors to advise themselves, and, if possible, resign from government health facilities and go into private practice if they so wanted. He told them to take the government�s offer or leave it since the issue was set for a compulsory arbitration between the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) representing the doctors and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. An obviously enraged Rojo, who spoke to Joy FM, said the doctors had no option than to call off the strike, since their resolve would amount to flouting the rules of engagement of arbitration. For this reason, he indicated that it would be totally unethical for the doctors to maintain their position of continuing the strike whilst the arbitration process went on, saying, �The rules of engagement of arbitration are very clear; that the parties, before arbitration can be empanelled, cannot continue with the lockout action, and cannot continue with the strike action.� He insisted, �It behoves them (doctors), if they want to prepare themselves for arbitration, to go back to work immediately. It is not an option that is available to them.� Mr. Mettle-Nunoo said, �If they can promise me that they can bring every single person who died in Ghana back to life, right, I can accept the kind of things they are going through.� Though the Labour Commission has directed the doctors and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to go into compulsory arbitration on Monday, junior doctors across the length and breadth of the country have also served notice that they would not accede to any compulsory arbitration since according to them, the last time they did, they were the poorer for it. The Ghana Medical Association Council is expected to meet tomorrow, Sunday October 23, to review its position on the industrial action.