Ghana’s health sector has been plunged into a deep crisis following a majority decision by members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to extend its strike for two more weeks.

The striking medical officers also resolved to continue the withdrawal of emergency services at public health institutions coupled with the decision to abandon their duty posts.

Members of the GMA at the weekend voted to extend their strike action further by two weeks at a crucial general meeting in Accra.

The striking medical officers also resolved to continue the withdrawal of emergency services at public health institutions coupled with the decision to abandon their duty posts.

By a majority decision of 213 to 148 votes, the doctors dampened government's hope in resolving the labour crisis in the public health sector over improved conditions of service.

Also the motion to restore emergency services to mitigate the effect on the people was also crushed, dashing the hopes of stranded patients.

However, the doctors appear to have soft-pedaled on their planned mass resignation from service. According to the deputy general secretary, Dr Justice Yankson speculations that the doctors planned to resign en masse from the weekend was untrue.

He explained that the decision to resign enmasse was a alternative they would consider should the discussions stalemate.

A labour expert, Kwesi Danso Acheampong, piqued with the decision of the doctors described their action as illegal and urged them to restore negotiations with government.

"The doctors will never get their conditions of service unless they go back to negotiation table," urging them to return to the negotiation table with the Fair Wages Commission.

The doctors have accused the government of acting in bad faith and not showing enough commitment to negotiations, but government insists that it was under pressure from the doctors.

Meanwhile, former President John Kuffuor has lent his voice to calls for the doctors to rescind their decision to continue with their strike action. "For the ultimate humanitarian considerations of the suffering masse of the people of Ghana and with the doctors' case already so strongly made, I appeal to them to restrain themselves from taking the final step of irreparable damage to the nation. The strike should be called off. The nation I believe will not forget this informed compromise," he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Haruna Idrissu has reiterated government's commitment to resolving the ongoing dispute in the public health sector.

"We have a shared and a collective responsibility together with the doctors, to preserve human lives and government will do exactly that," he said.