Doctors Under Siege�As Gov�t Communicators Go On Rampage

The Communication Team of the ruling National Democratic Congress has descended heavily on striking Medical Doctors.

The tone for the unbridled attacks on the Doctorswas set when a Presidential Staffer, Stan Dogbe posted on his Facebook wall a supposed proposal the Ghana Medical Association presnted to the government for consideration.

Ever since that disclosure by Stan Dogbe which flies in the face of the negotiation process especially when there was a written undertaking binding both parties not to disclose details of the negotiations, government and party spokespersons have taken the Doctors to the cleaners.

Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Solomon Nkansahwho is leading the pack of ‘attack dogs’, last week fired a salvo at the Doctors describing them as “nation wreckers”.

According to him, the Dctors in their bid to please the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) are moving heaven on earth to make the Mahama-led administration unpopular.

“It is about time we speak hard to people to reason. I wonder what has changed that they (GMA) don’t have good leaders who love this country. They (GMA) love their political party more than their jobs."

Again, a lawyer for the governing National Democratic Congressdoes not understand why doctors will demand 80-100 gallons of petrol as part of proposals for new conditions of service.

"Are they going to operate filling stations in their homes?" Amaliba retorted on Joy FM's Newsfile programme Saturday.

Doctors have declared a strike that may lead to mass resignation if government fails to sign onto new conditions of service document that will spell out the entitlement of doctors.

The three paged document signed by the GMA President Dr KwabenaOpokuAdusei is dated June 29, 2015.

The proposal wants doctors to be entitled to 40% of basic salaries as accommodation allowance per month, 20% as core duty facilitation allowance, 30% clothing allowance, 20% maintenance allowance, 20% utility allowance, 50% as professional allowance and 25 special risk allowance and vehicle tax exemption to doctors.

They are also demanding for the increase in gallons of petrol provided to the doctors.

Some of these demands have been rejected by government leading to the strike and a potential mass resignation by the doctors.

Discussing the matter on Joy News Abraham Amaliba said some of the demands were outrageous.

He accused the doctors of deceit.

"The doctors deceived all of us; why should they tell us there is no condition of service if they are receiving 20 gallons of petrol already," he said.

"They now want 80 gallons are they going to operate filling stations?" he asked.

The NDC lawyer also dismissed assertions that doctors are making the demands because of the opulence they see in politicians.

He said "we are allowed to choose professions," he said, adding if they think the pay is not good as doctors, they should resign and become politicians.

He said the doctors cannot still wear their robes and want to be treated like the chief who the community serves just because of the position of authority he holds.

Egbert Faibille Jnr who was also on Newsfile said the demands by doctors are mere proposals which will have to be negotiated.

He therefore found it unfair and indiscrete for the proposals to be leaked to the press while negotiation went on.

He was however convinced that some of the demands were outrageous and implored the GMA to reconsider some of the demands they made.

Meanwhile, new patients continue to get stranded at Out Patient Departmentsof the various government hospitals as new patients are not to be attended to.

Negotiations are likely to resume this week.