MDCAN Suspends Planned Nationwide Strike

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has suspended its planned nationwide strike action by three months following an appeal by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Services, Muhammad Ali Pate.

The decision was part of the resolutions reached by MDCAN and contained in its communique issued at the end of its 13th Biennial Delegates meeting held in Kano from September 4 to 10, 2023.

The the communique signed by MDCAN President, Prof Muhammad Aminu Muhammad, and Secretary General, Dr Daiyabu Alhaji Ibrahim, said the extension of the ultimatum was to allow the government to address all the pending issues.

“In view of the appeal by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Services, the Association resolves to extend the ultimatum by three months to allow the new Government to address all the pending issues,” the communique stated.

Recall that earlier, MDCAN had given the Federal Government a deadline of 21 days to fulfil its demands or for an industrial unrest.

Some of the resolutions taken by the MDCAN included calling on the government to organise all the necessary stakeholders towards revitalization and revamping of Nigeria’s healthcare system for the provision of affordable and accessible healthcare delivery in the country.

“The government is urged to, as a matter of urgency, provide holistic solutions to the challenges of brain drain which should include incentives that encourage retention of the already depleted healthcare human resource in the country.

“Concerted efforts should be made by the Government to motivate it’s available human resources for health in order to sustain and improve on the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainings in Nigeria.

“Critical stakeholders in medical education should work together to fashion sustainable pathways for improving the quality and quantity of the medical and dental graduates produced in the country.

“The association urges the Governments at all levels to save medical education through provision of proved infrastructure, adequate funding and remuneration of the staff.

“Provision of advanced medical care is achievable in Nigeria through the adoption and optimization of the kidney and spine surgeries model of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano and National Orthopedic Hospital Dala,” the communique stated.