Gov't cannot take responsibility for dying patients - Ade Coker

daniel russell

August 15, 2015 3:30 PM

According to the regional chairman Ade Coker, the doctors are the ones to be blamed for using the lives and health of the nation as bargaining chip for their conditions of service.

Ade Coker won in the Greater Accra Region

The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress, has adamantly refuted assertions that government is to blame for patients who are losing their lives due to the doctors strike.

According to the regional chairman Ade Coker, the doctors are the ones to be blamed for using the lives and health of the nation as bargaining chip for their conditions of service.

In an interview on this week’s edition of the Big Issues, Ade Coker said “ government cannot take responsibility for Ghanaians dying in our hospitals due to the strike. It is the doctors who have decided to use the lives of Ghanaians as bargaining chip for their conditions of service. It is not like we are not paying their salaries. Government pays the salaries and allowances of doctors every month.”

The Greater Accra chairman also could not understand why doctors will resort to such flimsy method as their meeting on Friday to decide such a serious matter as ending a strike that has had such a telling effect on the lives of Ghanaians.

“ I understand only ten per cent of doctors in the country attended the meeting to take a decision on the strikes. That is not representative of the total number of doctors in this country, so the GMA cannot make the decision to continue the strke”, he said.

Mr. Coker therefore pleaded with all doctors who voted against the continuation of the strike action to be true to their conscience and go back to work.

Meanwhile, government, in a communiqué released on Friday, directed Ghanaians to resort to some selected medical facilities in the country for medical attention as the Ghana Medical Association’s strike action continues.

These institutions include, University of Ghana Hospital, Legon , Atomic Energy Commission Clinic- Kwabenya, Airport Clinic- Airport, 37 Military Hospital- 37, Police Hospital – Cantonment, VRA Hospitals Osu, Akosombo and Aboadzie, Bank of Ghana Clinic –Ridge amongst others.

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daniel russell