Government is asking retired doctors to take up temporary responsibility at the various public health delivery centres in the country. The move is part of measures to mitigate the effect the doctor’s strike will have on patients across the country. This was disclosed to Joy News by the Deputy Health Minister Rojo Mettle Nunoo on Tuesday. According to him, government has a responsibility to respond to emergency situations and save the lives of the vulnerable people in the society. Doctors have deserted the hospitals for over a week in protest over delays in migrating them onto the Single Spine Salary Structure. They have sworn to remain out until government and the Fair Wages and Salary Commission meet their demands. With the various public hospitals now empty, facilities at the security health installations- 37 military and Police Hospitals - have been overstretched. The deputy Health Minister believes the temporary action by government will take the pressure of the emergency facilities in parts of the country. “…We also identified some institutional heads to start calling up doctors and retired doctors who are willing to work with us to man some of our emergency points that we have established,” he said. He added there are plans to roll in doctors and other health workers from private institutions to assist. It is however not clear what remuneration has earmarked for the mitigation exercise. Nunoo however, stated that government is still negotiating with the striking doctors for them to return to posts. He explained the government intervention does not mean it has abandoned negotiation with the doctors.