Health Minister Alban Bagbin is appealing to Consultants at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to rescind their decision to withdraw their services to the hospitals. The consultants, who number about a 100, double as teachers at the medical school of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and as supervisors of junior doctors at the hospital. The consultants claim their allowances for the past eight months have yet to be paid and all efforts to get them paid have been futile. They say they will no longer render the services to the hospital until their allowances have been paid. Health Minister Alban Bagbin told Joy News the claims being made by the doctors were legitimate but expressed surprise at their decision to withdraw their services. He said the policy to review payment of allowances in arrears has begun, stressing that the first quarter allowances were in the process of being paid. He appealed to the consultants not to trade the lives of the people they serve for the allowances they were demanding, insisting the allowances will be eventually be paid but lives lost as a result of the withdrawal of their services cannot be replaced. But the spokesperson of the consultants, Dr Frank Akobea told Joy News they have had to take the decision to withdraw their services because the minister reneged on his promise of paying them on time. He said several petitions sent to the minister to have their allowances paid have fallen on deaf ears. “If the policy is to pay us quarterly, why have we not been paid for the past eight months,” he quizzed. He dismissed assertions they have been insensitive to the people they serve, adding they continue offering their services as university lecturers but will no longer offer their services as supervisors of junior doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.