Kofi Annan, Mahama hold close-door meeting

Mr Kofi Annan, former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Secretary, on Tuesday called on government and members of the Ghana Medical Association to go to the negotiation table to end the stalemate over payment of doctors’ market premium.

He said although he did not know much about the issues that had taken the doctors off their duties, ‘there is always the need for government and organized labour to iron out issues that will not have rippling effects on others.’’

Mr Annan was speaking to journalists at the Flagstaff House, Accra, after holding a close door meeting with President John Dramani Mahama.

Mr Annan declined to give details of the meeting, but said “The meeting was purely social and we also discussed issues on economic development for Ghana and beyond.”

Mr Annan, who was asked about the doctors’ strike, said although he did not know much about their negotiation levels, there was the need to tackle issues amicably to pave way for socio-economic development.

Members of the Ghana Medical Association a couple of weeks ago laid down their tools on account of what was variously described as “government insensitivity to their plight “.

Since then they have been holding discussions with all relevant government functionaries to come out with an acceptable solution to the impasse.

Mr Annan’s visit was not connected to the stalemate between government and the doctors, but in answering a question from journalists, called for amicable settlement  of the problem to ameliorate the plight of patients in all public health facilities throughout the country.

Source: GNA