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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Health Minister campaigning as doctors strike?



The on-leave Health Minister, who has come under severe criticism for taking his leave at a time his ministry is on fire, says reports that he is campaigning in his constituency are inaccurate.

He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show his medical leave does not require him to bed-rest. If it did, his doctors would have advised him to do so.

According to him, the advice of his doctors is that he should do some exercises, emphasizing it is the reason he is in his constituency meeting with his people, especially when it has been long since he visited the constituency.

The government, in an attempt to douse the flames ignited by the announcement of the minister's leave, issued a statement saying that “the President granted the Health Minister his request for leave on the 11th of October, 2011 purely on medical grounds.”

The Chronicle newspaper however reported that Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh is busily campaigning in his Wa West Constituency of the Upper West Region.

According to the paper, “Mr Yieleh Chireh was at the Dabu Electoral Area in the Upper West Region on Tuesday, holding meetings with NDC executives in the constituency, in a bid to retain him to contest the [parliamentary] elections" next year.

The Health Minister is expected to visit the Boro electoral area at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, before dashing to the Boriman Electoral Area at mid-day.

Mr Yieleh Chireh however insists he is on medical leave but admits he has been interacting with his constituents.

Mr Yieleh Chireh said his personal involvement is not necessarily required to resolve the doctors’ strike, stressing the need for emphasis to be placed on institutional mechanisms to address the grievances of the striking doctors

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