Authorities at the 37 Military and the Police hospitals have recalled key essential service providers on leave and retirement as part of contingency measures to contain the upsurge of patients seeking medical attention at those hospitals. The Police Hospital has also engaged the services of locum doctors to beef up the staff to ensure that patients are well catered for. These measures follow the refusal of members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to call off their strike over their migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). The move is also in response to President J.E.A. Mills’ directive to the two hospitals to hold themselves in readiness to help contain the situation. A visit to the two hospitals in Accra indicated a large influx of patients seeking medicare. At the 37 Military Hospital, a team from the Military Police had been deployed there to maintain law and order following the confusion that broke at the Trauma and Surgical Department when some friends and relations of patients forced their way into the department to have their loved ones attended to. The Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel M. Bawine Atintande, told the Daily Graphic that the 37 Military Hospital had long put in place contingency measures even before the President issued the directive. He said the clinics at the various garrisons in the country had accordingly, been directed to take care of emergency situations, adding that what the hospital needed now was the necessary support in terms of drugs and other items from public-spirited institutions and individuals to manage the situation. At the Police Hospital, the Public Relations Manager, Chief Inspector Juliana Obeng, told the Daily Graphic that the hospital would officially open its rehabilitated theatre on Friday to the public and that emergency medical technicians from the Ministry of Health had been called to provide essential services. She observed that since the strike was announced, the Out-patient Department of the hospital had recorded a high number of patients and stressed that the authorities were unfazed by that because of the plans in place to contain any unforeseen circumstances, adding that there were plans to put up tents on the hospital premises for the provision of additional beds to contain fresh patients. “All the departments have, within the period, recorded a high number of patients but we are managing the situation,” Chief Inspector Obeng said, and pointed out that the doors of the hospital were opened to the public. She said the herbal clinic of the hospital was also providing services for clients who preferred traditional treatment.