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The junior doctors who picketed at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) on Monday are waiting for a written agreement from government as an assurance that their salaries will be paid.
They argued that the written agreement will serve as proof should the government renege on it’s promise to pay them by Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, a member of the 91 junior doctors, Dr. Ruth Sam said so far, only 50% of their demands have been met.
[contextly_sidebar id=”8Q0K1zEsfXlAUYKLqjWRoFOLNpt4faiT”]She revealed that the 91 junior doctors were divided into three groups, 64 of them will receive their 11-month salary arrears on Wednesday while 27 of them will receive just one month salary.
Out of the 27, some will not get paid at all.
After the first meeting, a document was signed with respect to the 64 doctors who will get full payment by Wednesday.
A second meeting was later held to sort out the payment plan for the remaining 27 and the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations promised to issue cheques to the various health institutions after which those monies will later be reimbursed by Controller.
After this meeting however, no document was signed and according to Dr. Sam, despite the assurances, “we want a written agreement of this decision to be signed by all the parties involved. That is the last step we are waiting for to complete the entire process and that is why we are about 50% complete.”
“We are waiting for that document to be signed for us to know that indeed, we have all been sorted out and we have achieved our aim. So we are holding on until this final document is signed,” she maintained.
No backup plan
Dr. Sam however said the junior doctors have no backup plan should government fail to honour its promise.
She said they found government’s promise “quite reassuring but we want to see it in a written document to seal the deal.”
She indicated that all they are holding onto the promise saying, “there is no backup plan but we are hoping that they will live to their end of the bargain.”
Regarding plans by the Police to drag them before court for unlawful gathering, Dr. Sam said: “We will be surprised if we are arraigned before court.”
On behalf of her colleagues, she thanked the media and the general public for standing by them to demand their pay from the government.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan