CALL OFF THE STRIKE (MAY 5, 2009)

JUNIOR doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) last week embarked on an indefinite strike in protest at the non-payment of accumulated fuel allowances due them by the hospital authorities.
The strike, apart from its limited scope, has nevertheless impacted negatively on the otherwise smooth and timely delivery of services to the thousands of in-patients and out-patients who throng the hospital daily.
Many patients have had to wait for far longer hours than was previously the case before seeing a doctor, with some reportedly returning home without being attended to.
We can sympathise with the junior doctors that the relatively longer delay of their unpaid arrears dating as far back as 2006 gives them the pretext for taking action to secure their interests. What has been legitimately earned must be paid on time.
This notwithstanding, we believe that the junior doctors could still have exercised a little but more restraint for the matter to be dealt with comprehensively.
It is on record that neither the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, nor the Chief Executive of KATH, Dr Nsiah Asare, was given a hint of the breakdown of ongoing talks to resolve the matter, which could have precipitated the strike.
Again, unlike the previous situation where the talks were not backed by substance, this time with the intervention of the minister, a concrete programme of action had been drawn up not only to begin clearing the backlog of arrears but also to pay all up and prevent their recurrence in the future.
Indeed, KATH authorities have since announced a schedule of payments and a similar agreement reached under the auspices of Dr Yankey through negotiations with the junior doctors of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has put paid to negative sentiments that could have degenerated into agitation and eventually to strike action.
The timing of this strike was also unfair to the minister, given the efforts he has injected into finding amicable solutions to these problems that long predated his assumption of office.
If the junior doctors have had to wait since 2006, largely on account of assurances that were not backed with concrete and verifiable programmes, why would they take strike action now, when a clear and demonstrable evidence of dealing decisively with the matter has come from the current leaders of the health sector?
We urge the junior doctors to reciprocate these positive gestures by, among other things, calling off the strike now, so that full and normal delivery of service at the hospital would resume.
In making this appeal, we are conscious of the need to reciprocate the efforts of our leaders in the various sectors, who show sufficient understanding of and commitment to the timely and amicable resolution of problems or grievances of workers.
The problems in the health sector are many and complex and this calls for a keen sense of understanding and co-operation from everybody to bring under control these problems to ensure a more cost-effective health delivery system for the benefit of the people.
We once again appeal to the junior doctors and all health sector workers and in fact all workers to have the patience for the government to come out with a salary structure that will be satisfactory to all.