Health Workers Threaten Strike Over Federal Govt’s Neglect Of Sector

Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has threatened to embark on a 2-week industrial action in the health sector if the federal government fails to pay attention to their complaints.

President of the association Dr. Victor Makanjuola who spoke the position of the association on Sunday, blamed the government for the problems in the country’s health sector.

The MDCAN also appealed to National Assembly to dump the obnoxious bill seeking to amend the Teaching Hospital Act in its entirety.

According to him, problems in the health sector remain largely unresolved by the government, with health care workers leaving the shores of the country in droves to more secured climes with better conditions of service.

Addressing newsmen in Benin City at the end of the national executive council (NEC) meeting of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Makanjuola said efforts by the government have been inadequate in addressing these problems.

He said, “the apparent intention of the relevant government agencies to engender disruption of services in secondary and tertiary health institutions across the country, by the failure to implement the payment of the approved hazard allowance, pay outstanding arrears occasioned by skipping, extend the retirement age of health workers to limit ongoing massive brain drain in the health sector as well as correct the shortfall in the salaries of honorary consultants who are clinical lecturers in the University.”

Makanjuola who noted that the government has refused to address these despite repeated negotiations and pledge to resolve these issues advised the government to note that “we cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the government hospitals if these demands are not met within the next two weeks. We therefore call on all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in order to avert the impending crisis.”