The Acting Minister of Health, Haruna Iddrisu, has given a strong indication that the state will no longer treat medical doctors with kid gloves as government prepares to put adequate measures in place to forestall future health crisis arising out of salary disagreements. Mr Iddrisu made this revelation on the sides of an emergency meeting held in Accra on Sunday to seek an amicable solution to the grievances of the medical doctors, who have laid down their tools for what they say, is the inadequacies of the Single Spine new pay policy. The doctors, who have been off their posts for nearly ten days, are unhappy with the grading structure, as well as the marketing premium that is being offered them on the new pay policy. Even though government, early on, stated that the national purse cannot cater for the demands of the doctors, the Ghana Medical Association have remained resolute in their decision not to go to work. But this development seems to have ruffled the Mills-led administration. Speaking to Joy News on Sunday, the Minister of Communication, who is acting as the Minister of Health, stated that government will have to take a major policy decision to remedy the situation: "In the future, no medical doctor should be employed or recruited on the public pay roll or for public service without an undertaken that such a doctor will never embark on a strike action.” He indicated that “as grave as the consequences of their (the doctors) action is, if life is lost, we cannot reverse life loss, deterioration of health condition cannot be reversed but pay arrears can always be resolved.” Mr. Iddrisu added that, “we also think that even before government, in future, will support any medical practitioner for post-graduate studies, that doctor must also [sign] an undertaken never to embark on an industrial action and to respect and uphold the fact that they are engaged in the provision of essential services. [This is because] the withdrawal of such services have dire consequences on human life and human health.” Mr. Iddrisu’s pronouncements is sure to incur the wrath of the doctors, who on Sunday, reaffirmed their decision to continue with the ongoing industrial action, but he is convinced this is the only way to ensure that the doctors remain loyal to the people. He said in the mean time, government is still engaging the doctors to find a mutually beneficial agreement. Mr. Iddrisu however used the opportunity to call on the doctors to return to their posts as the leadership of the medical association and the government settle their differences. He urged members of the public who have emergency medical cases to direct them to the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital for treatment.