Refrain from making inflammatory comments – Ghanaians cautioned

daniel russell 07:31 - 18 August 2015

The striking doctors have come under a heavy criticism from a section of the public for refusing to return to work until their conditions of service have been finalized by government.

A renowned medical practitioner at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Ernest Kwarko has appealed to the public to refrain from uninformed comments on the ongoing doctors’ strike.

The Ghana Medical Association has been on strike for more than two weeks now after their negotiations on conditions of service with government hit a deadlock and had vowed to resign en masse on Friday, August 14, if government fails to yield to their demands.

However, after a three-hour crucial General Assembly meeting held at the Ghana Medical Association offices at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital last Friday, the doctors decided to continue with their strike and review their decision in two weeks.

Their decision has irked a section of the public with some showering insults on the doctors.

Dr. Kwarko has therefore asked that comments on the ongoing strike be guided.

“If the public tries to understand the issues and deliberately refuses to make inflammatory comments, you make constructive criticism, you can even make appeals and analyse what is going on. But don’t insult, malign and don’t dare the doctors,” he said on Joy FM.

“My biggest caution goes to the journalists, when we finished the Friday meeting some people were saying ‘they don’t have balls they can’t resign’... the best way to get a man to do something is to tell them they can’t do it so stop the daring,” he added.