Medical, Dental Consultants Threaten Nationwide Strike

Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over what it described as non-implementation of agreements by the government.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the MDCAN extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held virtually.

The consultants called for the immediate implementation and circularisation of the agreed modalities for correcting the shortfalls in remunerations of Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants).

They demanded for the immediate review of the newly revised CONMESS circular and issuance of a new circular that would reflect the agreed percentage on both the basic salary and other allowances, apart from hazard allowance.

This, they said, would ensure that the Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants) would benefit from the upward review.

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The physicians also demand for the correction of error of commencement of the implementation of the upward review of CONMESS from 1st June 2023 to 1st January 2023, adding that the upward review of the CONMESS should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.

MDCA reiterated the impact of brain drain in the health sector, saying it contributes to burnout among its members and inadequate healthcare workforce to cater for the health of Nigerians.

“We therefore demand for the immediate implementation of the upward review of retirement age to 70 years for consultants and 65 years for other health workers, as an immediate measure to bridge the ongoing massive brain drain.

“The NEC hopes that all these issues will be satisfactorily resolved within the next 21 days (from August 7), failing which it can no longer guarantee the present relative industrial harmony within the government hospitals and our medical schools,” it stated.