Striking consultants at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are unhappy over comments by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister that their strike is politically motivated. The consultants at the largest hospital in the Ashanti Region have been on strike to protest delays in payment of allowances. They contend that until their allowances which have been in arrears for months are paid, they will not return to work. Their strike has been described as illegal. On Friday, the deputy Ashanti Regional Minister Animah Wilson told Joy News the action by the consultants is politically motivated. She does not understand why it is only the consultants at the Komfo Anokye Hospital in the Ashanti Region- the 'world bank' of the opposition New Patriotic Party- who are on strike whilst those in Korle-bu Teaching Hospitals and those at the Tamale Hospital are still on duty. She is convinced the consultants at the Okomfo Anokye are playing politics with the lives of innocent Ghanaians. Animah Wilson is all the more angry with serial callers who she claims are using the strike by the consultants to spite the ruling government. According to her, the cheques for the striking consultants are ready and wondered why the consultants will violate their call to duty all in the interest of money. But the consultants at the Komfo Anokye Hospital are unhappy with the utterances of the Regional Minister. One of them, Dr Reindorf Larsen told Joy News' Dzifa Bampoh the regional minister’s comments are “absolute insult on our intelligence.” Describing the comments as unfortunate, the consultants said the problem of arrears has persisted for over five years with the consultants having to endure it. According to him, several letters and petitions have been written to the appropriate quarters to get the matter resolved but nothing concrete has been achieved. He said it is therefore erroneous for the deputy minister to paint a picture as though they are unreasonable. He called on the Ministry to restore that trust which he insisted has been breached.