Kofi Annan calls on government, doctors to iron out stalemate

Mr Kofi Annan, former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Secretary, on Tuesday called on government and members of the Ghana Medical Association to go to the negotiation table to end the stalemate over payment of doctors� market premium. He said although he did not know much about the issues that had taken the doctors off their duties, �there is always the need for government and organized labour to iron out issues that will not have rippling effects on others.�� Mr Annan was speaking to journalists at the Flagstaff House, Accra, after holding a close door meeting with President John Dramani Mahama. Mr Annan declined to give details of the meeting, but said �The meeting was purely social and we also discussed issues on economic development for Ghana and beyond.� Mr Anna, who was asked about the doctors� strike, said although he did not know much about their negotiation levels, there was the need to tackle issues amicably to pave way for socio-economic development. Members of the Ghana Medical Association a couple of weeks ago laid down their tools on account of what was variously described as �government insensitivity to their plight �. Since then they have been holding discussions with all relevant government functionaries to come out with an acceptable solution to the impasse. Mr Annan�s visit was not connected to the stalemate between government and the doctors, but in answering a question from journalists, called for amicable settlement of the problem to ameliorate the plight of patients in all public health facilities throughout the country.