Doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital have defied a call for a nationwide strike and are attending to patients. This was confirmed by the CEO of the Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ken Sagoe in an interview with Joy News’ Tamale Correspondent, Mahama Shaibu. The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) declared a nationwide strike following what it said are delays in migrating doctors onto the Single Spine Salary Structure. Joy News’ correspondents across the country have filed grim reports about patients who have been turned away at the various public hospitals as the nationwide strike hits day three. At the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, authorities would only accept emergency cases. All new cases were turned away. On some occasions patients were provided with first aid before being turned away. Reporter Francesca Forson stated that the authorities have declared that no regular cases would be accepted. The situation in the Eastern Region is no different. Benjamin Henaku reported that the OPD at the Central Hospital in Koforidua is virtually empty. He said the strike is adversely affecting health care delivery in the region. In the Ashanti Region, Luv FM’s Elton John Brobbey said authorities at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital had responded to the strike call, and the Polyclinic that sees to OPD cases will not admit new cases. He said the clinic was virtually empty, a sharp contrast to what normally happens on a Monday morning. A security man early in the morning attempted to put off the lights, claiming there were no patients but was prevented from doing so, Brobbey reported. The Hospital authorities were however considering to accept only emergency cases for the time being. But in Tamale, Dr. Sagoe said the peculiar situation in the region makes it difficult for them to go on strike. Unlike other regions where private clinics are dotted - and which patients could attend as alternative - the Tamale Teaching Hospital CEO said the situation is different in his region. The Teaching Hospital is the only reliable health delivery centre in the Municipality and the doctors could not afford to endanger the lives of patients. Ken Sagoe told Shaibu he had to rally his colleagues to attend to patients in order to avoid any disaster.