JOHESU Urges Tinubu To Reconstitute Federal Health Institutions’ Boards

Members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have asked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to quickly reconstitute the boards/governing councils of all federal health institutions (FHIs), professional regulatory councils and other agencies in the sector to bridge the gaps in the management of the organisations.

In a letter to the president, the union said the non-constitution of the boards and governing councils has far reaching effects on the institutions, including the disruptions and poor oversight responsibilities of key structures in the hospital system, and stalls the promotion of senior staff as well as those who should be in management committees of the hospitals which needs the approval of the boards.

In the letter signed by the national chairman of JOHESU, Dr Kabiru Ado Minjibir and national secretary, Comrade Martin Egbanubi, the body expressed surprise that despite the promise by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 7, 2023, to resolve the demands of JOHESU on adjustment of Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS) which led to the suspension of an ongoing nationwide strike action by JOHESU; nothing has been done.

It said,  “There is observable culture of impunity and lack of adherence to due process by Chief Executive Officers of these Federal Health Institutions in the absence of Boards of Management.

“The absence of constituted Boards/Governing Councils for the institutions and agencies in the health sector would result in disruptions and poor oversight responsibilities of key structures in the hospital system including entire procurement process of drugs, dressings, consumables, construction works, transport and vehicular logistics and other related endeavours in healthcare management.’’

It posited that, it “would impede other establishment procedures with regards to the training, research, and specialised care protocols of the Federal Health Institutions (FHIs).

Vital decisions on specialised appointments which are incidental to care in hospital, have been delayed and almost jeopardised in some instances.’’

The group argued that professional bodies which ought to enjoy legal status of perpetual succession are probably more affected because vital areas of their output are grounded in statutory provisions.

‘’Regulation and control of practice to enhance good professional practice protocols is lost in many instances because there is no governing council to statutorily empower the organs of the registry of the various councils. Also affected is the accreditation of training facilities which includes faculties in the Universities, Schools of Health Technologies and indeed other cadres because the Governing Councils must give an approbation in law before these centres of learning and training facilities can be recognised in law.’’

It said, ‘’The chairman of most of the professional regulatory councils are statutorily the Chairman of the Disciplinary Tribunals of the councils. In the absence of the formal councils’ Chairmen, it becomes impossible to invoke the relevant rules and procedures to sanction erring health professionals and the facilities they represent. This encourages unprecedented impunity, arbitrariness, and indiscipline in the display of some practitioners or health facilities around the country which must be checkmated immediately.’’

The national leadership-in-session also frowned at the federal government’s delay in the implementation of adjustment of the Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS) stalled by the bureaucracy.

While the body advised the federal government to pay special cognizance to the health of Nigerians as any life lost cannot and will never be revived, it nonetheless, demanded for immediate implementation of the Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment to avert resumption of the suspended strike action.

‘’JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals Association (AHPA) expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for finding it expedient and heeding the JOHESU earlier appeal to restore funding to the Health Sector Professional Regulatory Councils that regulate and control the practices of its members who constitute over 80% of the workforce in the health sector.’’

The councils include, Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria(CHPRBN),Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria (HRORBN), Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (MRTBN), Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), Optometry and Dispensing, Optician Registration Board of Nigeria (ODORBN),Dental Therapist Registration Board of Nigeria (DTRBN) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).