NMA directs doctors to stay on duty, as health workers join strike in Lagos

As health workers in public hospitals in
Lagos joined the nationwide strike on
Thursday, the Nigeria Medical Association
(NMA) has directed all doctors to render
uninterrupted services, especially for
emergency cases.
The NMA national president, Dr Osahon
Enabulele, said in a statement that plans
were being made by the striking workers to
prevent doctors from providing healthcare
services in the hospitals.
According to him, we have nothing against
the right of people to determine how best
to actualise their demands.
“We shall, however, not tolerate any attempt
to obstruct medical and dental practitioners
in the course of rendering their official
duties,” he said.
Enabulele urged the chief medical directors
of the affected hospitals to provide
adequate security and access to hospital
materials, equipment and other healthcare
facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that skeletal services were being rendered
in the hospitals when its correspondents
visited in Lagos, as health workers joined
their counterparts in the nationwide strike.
The hospitals were the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, the
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta and
the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba.
At LUTH, an official, who sought anonymity,
told NAN that health workers in the hospital
joined the strike on Thursday, after
receiving a directive from the national body.
He said that doctors were only rendering
skeletal services to the patients at the
emergency unit of the hospital.
Also, activities were partially paralysed at the
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta and
the Federal Neuropsychiatry Hospital, Yaba,
due to the health workers’ strike.
A visit to the Federal Medical Centre showed
that the gates were under lock and key as
the security guards refused to open to any
visitor, including the doctors.
Many patients were turned back, while the
nursing mothers on admission at the
maternity wards were being discharged and
referred to other hospitals.
But at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital,
Yaba, skeletal services were being offered,
as some patients were being attended to.
Mr Uzondu Eke, the Chairman, Nigerian
Union of Allied Health Professionals, told
NAN that the hospital still offered skeletal
services.
“We do not want to paralyse activities and
close down totally,” he said.
Mr Femi Omoba, the Chairman, Medical and
Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in
Lagos State, confirmed that health workers
in the state had joined the strike.
The state chairman said that the workers
were aggrieved because of the delay in the
implementation of their demands, which he
said, was ratified by a recent ruling of the
National Industrial Court.
“Some workers in certain medical fields can
attain the position of a Chief Consultant,
while others were not allowed to reach such
rank.
“We are saying that it is discriminatory to
allow only a group of workers to attain a
particular rank, while their counterparts in
other specialties with years of experience,
were not promoted to such level,’’ he said.
Omoba also said that the government had
yet to settle the issue of workers
Consolidated Medical Salary even when an
agreement had been signed.
He said that the workers would not go back
on the strike if their issues were not
addressed.
The Joint Health Workers’ Union had issued
a 21-day ultimatum over the non-
implementation of the agreement it earlier
reached with the Federal Government.
The workers were demanding for “non-
skipping of salary grade level CONHESS 10,
the passage of the National Health Bill,
consultancy and specialist allowances and
call/shift duty, as well as other professional
allowances.
The health workers now on strike include
Nurses, Pharmacists, Laboratory Technicians,
as well as allied workers in the sector such
as the administrative personnel in the
hospitals. (NAN)