Strike Death Toll Innaccurate – GMA

The Ghana Medical Association has said reports that about 500 people have died since doctors .embarked on a strike cannot be accurate.

The Finder newspaper reported in Monday’s edition that about 500 sick people have died nationwide since the doctors declared the strike on July 30. The paper quoted statistics from the Health Insurance Service Providers of Ghana (HISPAG).
The doctors have withdrawn all out-patient and emergency services from all government hospitals, demanding a documented condition of service.
But the General Secretary of the GMA, Dr Frank Serebour told Citi News the deaths cannot be attributed to the doctors’ strike because government had put in place measures to mitigate its impact.
He said, “I don’t even believe what they are saying…as far as you and I know, the Ministry of Health has indicated that it has put in contingency measures for all of us as Ghanaians including myself. And so does it mean that the contingency measures are not working? Is that what they are saying?”
Dr Serebour also said the report is intended to cause disaffection for the doctors.
“These are the issue that people always try to put into the public domain to make it look as if the doctors have done something bad…that public opinion should sway against them”, he said, adding, “I don’t believe in those reports”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health will on Tuesday announce an emergency plan it has put in place to mitigate the effect of the doctors’ strike.
The Ministry last week announced a list of quasi health institutions the public can resort to during the strike.
A source at the Ministry told Citi News the Ministry will review its measures and announce more plans to continue providing healthcare to Ghanaians despite the strike.
Source: citifmonline.com