The flagbearer of the People’s National Convention in the 2008 general election has criticised government’s handling of the 17-days-old strike by doctors across the country. Edward Mahama told Joy News’ Araba Koomson “painting doctors black” is not the right way to resolve the crisis. Doctors announced a nationwide strike to protest delays in their migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure a little over two weeks ago. They have since been heavily criticized with some government spokespersons calling them “mass murderers.” The criticisms have only served to increase the doctors’ resolve, making them even more intransigent in their strike. The doctors are due for compulsory arbitration, Monday with the Labour Commission, but a suit filed against them by the health NGOs makes the doctors return to duty doubtful. Dr. Edward Mahama who is himself a medical doctor was part of a meeting by the Ghana Medical Council held Sunday, and is convinced doctors have been given a raw deal. He said the strike could easily have been avoided if government had taken steps to resolve the concerns by the doctors. He also condemned a statement by President John Mills that the erstwhile New Patriotic government did not put in place any implementation strategy. Dr Mahama stressed that government ought to have calculated the total cost of implementing the pay policy rather than the peace meal approach it adopted. According to him, government erroneously believes when the case is sent for arbitration, with members of the arbitration body largely constituted by the government, they will rule in favour of the government but he is convinced the doctors have a just cause. He said there are no mechanisms to force doctors to go back to work. Meanwhile house officers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi say government might collapse the health care delivery system in the country. Their spokesperson, Dr Kweku Appeagyei noted attempts by government to incite the public against doctors will not work. He also criticized steps by government to mitigate the full effects of the doctors’ strike, describing them as ad hoc and unsustainable. He said doctors will not be cheated, insisting if government and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission will resort to the “makola approach” rather than the scientific way in evaluating the specific jobs of employees, then the implementation of the SSSS will be problematic.