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10/17/11 (AEIN) Ghanaian President Mills has urged doctors in the West African nation to return to work and announced various steps to curtail the effects of an ongoing strike. He also praised some doctors for refusing to join the strike and called upon others to do the same, the Ghana News Agency reported on Monday.
President Mills stated that police and military hospitals have been instructed to boost their capacity to serve patients. He directed the Central Medical Stores to distribute more supplies to specific health facilities. Mills also requested that the ambulance service prepare to transfer patients to hospitals where doctors remain available.
The President thanked religious medical providers, the brigade of doctors from Cuba and other entities that continue to offer emergency health services despite the strike. He went on to say that doctors who did not join the strike would be rewarded for their work. He also encouraged other specialists and doctors to join them.
Although Ghanaian law prohibits strikes by personnel performing emergency services, doctors have gone on strike to protest a change to their salary structure. The strike has yet to affect military and police hospitals, along with a few other medical institutions. It has sparked concern regarding the availability of emergency treatment.