Members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have voted at crucial General Assembly meeting to remain on strike for two more weeks.

They have however agreed not to resign en masse as threatened by their leadership two weeks ago over an absence of documented conditions of service.

Joy News' Joseph Opoku Gakpo reports that a motion to restore emergency services was squashed by a counter motion to maintain the status quo.

At the meeting in Accra Friday, 213 doctors voted for the status quo, while 148 voted to resume duty. That is by a margin of 65 votes, the doctors voted to continue the strike that is set to enter its third week.

A doctor with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH0 Osei Tutu told Joy News, government did not show “enough” commitment to negotiate. Osei Tutu said the two weeks extension is to allow government to come back again with a better offer.

Another described government’s posture as “pretty much appalling”. She said without conditions of service, a doctor has “no patient”.

GMA Deputy General Secretary Dr. Justice Yankson also explained that news reports that they will be resigning en masse after Friday was not true.

According to him, the doctors had only stated in a road map that if no deal is clinched they will “begin the processes culminating” in finally resigning from the service.

Some of the doctors came from as far as the Northern region to join their colleagues in Accra for the crucial decider.

The repercussions of this decision are expected to be grim for the health sector already reeling under the strike action by more than 2,000 doctors.

The stance of withdrawing emergency services continues after out-patient services was suspended two weeks ago.

A labour expert Kwesi Danso Acheampong has expressed concern that the doctors are using illegal means to achieve a legal demand.

"The doctors will never get their conditions of service unless they go back to the negotiation table", he told Joy News.

He advised the doctors to learn from a Judicial workers who called off a strike recently after the Fair Wages Commission had directed they enter into compulsory arbitration as prescribed by law.

Government will be disappointed in the decision after holding crunch talks with GMA Friday pleading that the doctors resume while negotiations continue.

The General Assembly meeting today by the union of public sector medical doctors – the Ghana Medical Association – was held to decide the next line of action by the agitating doctors who have left their posts in protest of an absence of improved condition of service.

Talks between the striking doctors and government have stalled on several occasions: the doctors say government has not been negotiating with them in good faith and has blamed government negotiators of deliberating leaking confidential documents presented at the negotiating table to make them look bad.

The government on the hand has said it cannot negotiate under duress, that is while the doctors’ strike continues.

Meanwhile, the situation at private, police and military hospitals remain dire as increased patient numbers and scarce facilities befuddle healthcare delivery.