Sunyani doctors boycott strike

Sunyani (B/A), Sept. 8, GNA - Doctors at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani stayed away from the recent Ghana Medical Association initiated nation-wide strike action as a mark of solidarity with the families of the three prominent doctors who died in a motor accident on the Accra-Kumasi road last month.

Mr Thomas Kofi Tawiah, Head of Administration at the Hospital, told the Ghana News Agency that the entire administrative staff, doctors and nurses at the Hospital still felt the loss of the three doctors due to the selflessness and total commitment to the national cause that they exhibited before their death.

"The three doctors had the Hospital and the entire nation at heart and displayed a tireless effort to serve the people of Ghana and this warranted our decision to boycott the strike", he added. Mr Tawiah emphasized that staff at the Hospital realised that "it was because of us that they died, so if we go on strike, it will be unfair to them and their families".

Professor J M K Quartey, Dr Isaac Bentsi and Dr Benjamin Osei-Wiafe, all of the Urology Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital perished in a tragic motor accident while returning from an outreach programme at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani.

Mr Tawiah explained that a meeting was convened between the Hospital's management and the doctors last Monday where the doctors unanimously agreed to work in spite of the call for the strike action. He added that the doctors did this in spite of the nation-wide industrial action to demonstrate solidarity with their departed colleagues and their families.