The Ministry of Health has "reminded" doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) they swore a hippocratic oath to save lives and render healthcare to everyone in need.

The Health Ministry's reminder to the doctors come in the wake of an unofficial industrial action by the KATH doctors who have resolved not to cater for more than 3 patients a day.

According to Nhyira FM's Ohemeng Tawiah, the doctors' action is denying patients of medical care.

He said long queues of patients have been forming at the hospital since the last Friday, but there are no doctors to take care of them.

The doctor's work-to-rule action is also in reaction to the Health Ministry's directive that sent a doctor and a nurse on leave in the wake of a missing stillborn at the hospital.

The Health Ministry also warned that any health professional found to have been negligent in the missing baby scandal at the hospital will be severely punished.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is in support of the industrial action by the KATH doctors.

The Ghana Medical Association raised a strong objection to the Health Ministry’s directive that caused a doctor and a nurse to proceed on leave.

But in a statement signed by Tony Goodman, Public Relations Officer, the Health Ministry indicated that it has written to the National Labour Commission to use its mandate to address such action by any group of health workers in breach of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).

"The Ministry of Health would like to remind all health workers that the government pay reform within the framework of the Single Spine Pay Policy as implemented from January, 2010 evaluated jobs of Public Sector Workers using 40 hour per week.

"However, medical officers and other health workers in the Public Sector received market Premium prior to the actual implementation of the inadequate number of medical officers and other health professionals working in the country.

"In that arrangement, specialists currently receive addition to their base pay, a Market Premium which is calculated using one Hundred and Twenty percent (120%) of their 2012 base pay", the statement read in part.

The Health Ministry says it will therefore be unfortunate for any Medical Officer or any other health worker not to work for the salaries that they earn.

"The Medical Officers should be reminded that they swear a hippocratic oath to save lives and render healthcare to everyone in need at anytime. The Ministry therefore entreats Management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to remind the few doctors who want to act otherwise", the statement warned.