Invalids turned away from hospitals as doctors strike

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ACCRA-- New patients are being refused treatment at state hospitals across Ghana where a strike by doctors demanding back payment for overtime work went into a fifth day on Wednesday.

At Ghana's main Korle Bu hospital in the capital Accra, beds lay empty as nurses explained they were under "strict instructions" to turn people needing medical help away.

The nationwide strike, called by the Ghana Medical Association on Friday, has been observed at most state hospitals across the country where services for new patients have ground to a halt.