The chairman of parliament’s health committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, has argued the doctors’ demand for an apology at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) is being forced.
According to him, a sincere apology from Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh should follow careful consideration and a genuine acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
This argument comes after the decision of the doctors at TTH to go on strike and come back only after the minister of health apologizes.
Speaking to Joy News on Friday, April 25, Dr. Nawaane emphasized that even though the situation at TTH was unfortunate as it involved their fellow doctor and a minister, the doctors should not wait until all issues are resolved because there are lives involved.
“You stop work and ask that ‘apologize before I go back’; it is just like forcing the person to apologize. This happened because somebody lost his life at TTH. Are we now going to sit down and continue to argue around this situation while we wait to see the second, third, or fourth person who might lose his life?” he questioned.
Read also: TTH Strike: Committee Member Calls for Minister’s Apology to TTH Doctors
Dr. Nawaane believes that strike action should be used only when all else fails, not as an initial response. He argues that using strikes as a first resort makes the strike action less effective.
He explained that his committee is working to resolve the issue between the doctors and the minister of health.
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The chairman reiterated that the doctors should prioritize their duties and resume work without holding out for an apology, given the potentially irreversible impact of their strike.
“They shouldn’t wait for any apology before the go to work. The apology can come today, can come tomorrow if they have that feeling. It should be an individual decision, but the effect of them not going to work—some of the effects are irreversible, like the loss of life,” he advised.
