July 15 , 2014 •
By admin PM News
On 1 July, the Nigerian Medical Association , NMA , began what it called an indefinite strike to press home some agitations and demands it started fighting for over a period of time , but which it thinks the Federal Government had refused to meet . According to the NMA President, Kayode Obembe , part of the 24 - point demand include reserving the position of Chief Medical Director to only medical doctors , appointment of Surgeon - General of the Federation , passage of National Health Bill and providing security for doctors .
The NMA also wants increase in duty , hazard and specialist allowances, as well as budget for residency training programme , and reserving the title of consultants to only medical doctors , among others . We feel some of these demands are very simple to resolve if the government at the centre is really sincere . These issues have lingered for long and the Minister of Health , Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, knew there was crisis in waiting . Just like in other sectors that have witnessed government ’ s neglect , why did the government jettison negotiations till the situation degenerated into a full - scale crisis ?
Professor Chukwu further showed his inability to manage a major crisis when he challenged the medical doctors to a debate days ago. If this is aimed at winning public sentiments to the side of the government over the strike action , then it is a failed attempt since the people no longer even have confidence in their government . Moreso, the same Minister abandoned the burning sector and travelled abroad in the heat of the crisis , as confirmed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Ifeanyi Okowa .
The citizens know that most health institutions in the country are hardly patronised by those in government . They prefer to travel abroad for routine medical check up because they consider facilities at the nation’ s hospitals ..not good enough whereas it is these same government officials that neglected those facilities. The doctors are also human beings living in the country . Thus , they experience the same pains caused by government ’ s neglect like every other Nigerian .
Rather than engage in public altercation with the NMA after it failed over the years to either meet the association ’ s demands or convince the doctors on why the government cannot meet such demands , we think the government should focus on serious and sincere negotiations that would get the doctors back to work . We support the NMA demands . The government should respond to these demands!
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