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Amoako Baah Advises Mahama: Don’t Treat Doctors Job As “Essential” But “Critical Service”

Head of the Department of History and Political Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Richard Amoako Baah says President Mahama’s response to the demand of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) cast slur on the ongoing negotiation.

Addressing members of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association, GRWA at the launch of their 80th anniversary in Accra, President John Mahama stated categorically that – “Any agreements that are reached in respect of allowances or conditions of services would have to be appropriately captured in the budget.

And I want to say for emphasis I will not authorize any expenditure on wages and compensation not provided for in the budget.”

But the renowned Political Science lecturer on Okay Fm’sAde Akye Abia” Morning Show says the comment by President Mahama can affect the outcome of the negotiation since he [Mahama] has already taken an entrenched position.

He reminded the President that the highest paid profession in the world is the work of a medical doctor; thus it is not strange for the GMA to make certain demands.

…the highest paid profession is the work of doctors…it is a highly professional job; they have to be well paid but it also does not mean the doctors should hold the nation to ransom and that is why we call it negotiation,” he opined.

Addressing President Mahama’s fiscal discipline, Dr. Amoako Baah alerted the president to realize that he recently went to Parliament for a Supplementary Budget requesting for an additional 800 million cedis to help government implement targets spelt out in the 2015 budget; and wondered why the president is now realizing fiscal discipline.

He pontificated that when the government borrows, it will not show up in this year’s budget as some loans maybe payable in the future; accusing that “last year the presidency over-spent its own budget by 200 percent“.

He therefore advised that “he should have exercised patience and handled the negotiation issue in good faith. The doctors’ services are not essential but critical service; they are not like UTAG and others and whether we like it or not, doctors’ services are critical in the world and this is how it is in the world”.

He however feared the whole country will be at standstill as other labor forces have indicated to join in the demonstration with such responses coming from President Mahama.

Source: peacefmonline

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