The Health Minister, Dr George Sipa Yankey says he is deeply troubled by Government’s inability to pay salary arrears and other allowances to medical doctors as agreed during negotiations. He does not know why the government has failed to honour its side of the bargain and pledged to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the medical doctors when they started a work-to-rule protest in May to press home their demand for better conditions of service, the government was supposed to pay the first tranche of accumulated salary increases for last year, and duty allowances for this year by the close of this July. But the Ghana Medical Association says it has sighted a letter from the Finance Minister delaying the payment of the agreed sums without any explanation. Health Minister Dr Yankey told Joy News he was troubled by the development, saying the government reneging on its promise to the doctors will only make it more difficult to negotiate with them in the future. “I am actually amazed as to why up to July the money has not been paid. Unfortunately, I have not been in touch with my colleague Finance Minister because I took his word for it,” he noted. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline/Ghana