Labour front Doctors split from Ghana Medical Association

Some medical doctors who voted against the the doctor’s strike at an emergency meeting have departed from the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to form the Federation of Professional Doctors of Ghana.

The formation of the group comes after members of the GMA declared an indefinite strike over government's inability to agree on their service conditions.

The notices indicate that the members comprise the 148 doctors who voted against the doctor’s strike at the emergency meeting last week.

According to a report by Starr FM, a Northern Regional based Medical doctor, Thomas Anaab says the formation of a new group is good for health delivery in the country.

“You shouldn’t be in a group whose principles are adverse to human lives. If you decide to leave such a group, I believe God will welcome it. It is very wrong for one to be in a group that just fights for our benefit.

“I will be happy to see and support an association that will come up and say we will never go on strike because we care about our people and not resort to strike as their bargaining card,” he stated.

The Ghana Medical Association has, however, not confirmed the formation of the new doctors group.

Meanwhile, government has pulled out of conditions of service negotiations with striking members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

According to the Employment and Labour Relations Minister Haruna Iddrisu, negotiations cannot continue while the doctors are on an illegal strike.

“Government will continue negotiations with the GMA only if they call off their strike action and come back to the negotiation table for us to dialogue further on putting closure to the whole subject of getting them a codified condition of service.

“But so long as they remain on strike, boycotting work whether partial or full and not resigning puts us in a difficulty in continuing negotiations”, he added.