Doctors begin nationwide strike today

Dr. Kayode Obembe

The Nigerian Medical Association, on Monday in Abuja, declared an indefinite nationwide strike which has been scheduled to commence today.

The President of the NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe, during a press briefing on the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands and imperative of the strike, said there was no going back.

The NMA had sent 24-point demands to the government, including the discontinuation of recognition of non-medical doctors as Directors and Consultant title to any other health worker other than medical doctors.

The demands also include the appointment of a Surgeon-General of the Federation, payment of clinical duty and hazard allowances and withdrawal of the Central Bank of Nigeria circular on medical laboratory equipment.

“The NMA is taking this painful route because our silence and gentle approach to these contending issues have been taken for granted. We have to take this action in order to save the health care delivery system from anarchy that is palpably imminent. We hereby appeal to all Nigerians for their understanding and to press on the government to meet with our demands”, he stated.

Obembe stated that the failure of the government to address NMA’s demands has left the association with no other option than “to call all its members to down tool in order to press home their demands.”

Obembe said there was no way non-doctors could be allowed to function as Consultants, given that they do not oversee patients in the hospital.

He said, “A consultant is the owner of the patient; many health workers now go about acquiring Ph.D so that they can be called Doctors. The title should be restricted to only a medical doctor.”

According to him, last week’s interim injunction by the National Industrial Court has no link with the NMA as it was merely an issue between Medical and Dental Consultants Association and the government.

“Every doctor is a member of the NMA; other affiliates are allowed to operate also. We sought legal advice on the court injunction, our legal opinion is that the court order did not mention any reference to the NMA and since it did not mention NMA, we don’t want to dwell on it.”

On meetings it had with government, Obembe said, “We had a meeting with the Federal Government. We tabled our minimal demands; the government did not agree with NMA, but there is no end point. Some were referred to the court. There was no end point. While this was going on, the government was issuing out circulars favouring other health workers.”