Nigeria Medical Association is set to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike over alleged non-implementation of an agreement it reached with the Federal Government.
The association on Saturday held a marathon meeting to finalise its plans.
The President, NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, in a short text message to one of our correspondent on Saturday morning said, “We are meeting to take decisions today. Thereafter, we shall brief the press.”
Upon enquiry around 6pm, Enabulele sent another message indicting that the meeting was still on. At 7:45pm and 9:07pm, respectively, he said the same thing.
The NMA had on Friday warned that a collapse of the health sector was imminent, if the Federal Government did not meet its final ultimatum on the implementation the agreement reached by the two parties.
The final ultimatum expires today.
The bone of contention include the upgrade of hospital facilities and infrastructure; improvement in doctor’s work conditions; and the erroneous system in the adopted salary payment structure known as Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).
In a statement by Enabulele on Friday, which was obtained by an online news agency, Sahara Reporters, the doctors accused the Minister of Health, Mr. Chukwu Onyebuchi, of handling the issue with levity.
The association said after several postponements of deadlines for meeting all the demands since July, and on account of the intervention of some stakeholders, the doctors had “finally” chosen on December 14, 2013, as the final deadline “beyond which no other grace would be permissible.”
“Sadly, since the report of the presidential committee was submitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, only the re-constitution and inauguration of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has been achieved, he said.
However, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has described NMA’s threat to embark on nationwide strike as a dishonour.
Chukwu said he had reviewed the progress of the implementation of the Federal Government’s agreement with the association “and discovered that we have not done badly.”
The minister said this when he spoke to newsmen in Abuja after being conferred with the Platinum Award of Excellence in Medicine and Quality Health care by the Nigerian Medical Students Association and inducted into the NIMSA Hall of Fame.
Chukwu said, “Our patients are not our enemies. I think we should attend to them and attend to ourselves because we don’t know who is going to need health services. There is certainly no need for any strike. I appeal to them not to bring another hardship to Nigerians, particularly in this festive season.
“This is not the time to cause hardship to ourselves. We should, at least, pity ourselves and not continue to cause hardship. You know in this period, usually, there will be a lot of accidents, people tend to eat too much, particularly children with gastroenteritis.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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