The Ghana Medical Association GMA says it will go into negotiations with government on Wednesday, August 05, 2015 without an ingrained position.
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Doctors promise flexibility at Wednesday's negotiations with Govt
"It is a negotiation and we know that in negotiations you don't always get what you want."
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The association is meeting government again to continue with negotiations on their conditions of service which include clothing and fuel allowances.
The doctor's currently are in the first phase of a three-part series of action geared towards pushing government to heed to their demands.
They have currently withdrawn their services at the Out Patient Department (OPD) of all government hospitals. This is expected to be followed with the withdrawal of emergency services and then a subsequent resignation by all the doctors.
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At Wednesday's meeting the government will make an attempt to convince the doctors to go back to work while negotiations continue.
Speaking to Peace Fm the general secretary of the Ghana Medical Association Dr. Frank Serebour said they "are not going there with an entrenched position. It is negotiation and we know that in negotiations you don't always get what you want."
He added that the association has already made a lot of compromises with government on other areas of the negotiations such as their working hours."
The association's general secretary says the only bone of contention is their conditions of service,
Commenting of the GMA's demands from government which were made public, Dr. Serebour said the demands are only proposals and are waiting for government to make a counter offer.
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Currently OPDs at the government hospitals are empty. A statement signed by the Communications manager at the National Health Insurance Authority Selorm Adonoo said "The National Health insurance Authority (NHIS) card holders who may be turned away from public health facilities are to visit any of the NHIS- credentialed private and faith-based hospitals and clinics."
Patients can also visit the 37 Military hospital, the Police hospital and Community based Health Planning and Services CHPS compounds across the country.
The Ministry of Health has also instructed all heads of directorate in all health facilities to work with other non striking staff to attend to patients.
In March this year the GMA threatened to strike if government did not pay their conversion difference and pension contributions. In April 2015 the doctors raised issues about their condition of service. In May 2015, they threatened to resign if their demands are not met. In June the threat to resign en bloc was pushed further to July 29. The association finally carried out the treat to withdraw the services on Friday July 31 2015.
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