Although it is within government’s right not to pay striking doctors, a labour consultant is urging a softer approach as Ghana’s healthcare crisis rages on.

Labour consultant, Mohammed Afum is suggesting government pays doctors who are on strike over conditions of service since August.

Labour minister Haruna Iddrisu has already warned that striking employees may lose their August salaries.

"Government wishes to remind all public sector workers of the provisions of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651), which states among others that a worker on strike “may forfeit his/her remuneration in respect of the period during which he/she is engaged in the illegal strike”, a statement from the Ministry said.

The President on Tuesday, backed his minister in a tacit response insisting that "if we don't live by our laws, we go back to the jungle." He has also condemned the strike as "abosolutely illegal".

The Ghana Medical Association has a membership of at least 2,000 doctors with the GMA.

Backing President Mahama’s affirmation of the Labour minister’s threat, the Labour consultant told Joy FM’s Top Story that “legal or illegal they [doctors] are not entitled to be paid.”

He said the employer may nonetheless decide to be gracious to striking employees noting that “in industrial relations, it is not about law alone, it is about sustaining the relationship”.

He wants government to tread cautiously because human lives are involved as doctors withdraw emergency and outpatient department services. The doctors have also warned that they could resign en masse after Friday.

The labour consultant fears the worse could happen if government takes a hard line position by refusing to pay the doctors.

Already three persons are reported to have died before they could be attended to at the emergency unit of the 37 military hospital in the last 24 hours.

Health officials there are reeling under intense pressure and are unable to handle the number of cases being brought to the facility as a result of the ongoing strike.

Mohammed Afum is counselling government to look at the "social dimension" of the health crisis and refrain from getting legalistic with the doctors.

"Even in war there is always negotiations", he observed and asked the parties to get back to the negotiating table.