Medical Practitioners Back NMA Ultimatum, Warn Of Looming Healthcare Crisis

The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has expressed concern over a looming healthcare crisis and urged President Bola Tinubu and other key stakeholders to intervene.

The appeal followed the 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

In a statement signed by its president, Dr Kay Adesola, and secretary-general, Dr Gbadebo Adebiyi, the association expressed full support for the NMA’s stance against the recent circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

The circular, which seeks to review the allowances of federal medical and dental officers, has been described as a breach of the long-standing collective bargaining agreements and a threat to industrial harmony.

“As a constituent part of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), we are deeply concerned by the 21-day ultimatum issued on July 2nd, 2025, by the NMA in response to the recent circular from the NSIWC.

“The circular, which purports to review allowances for medical and dental officers in the federal public service, not only contravenes prior collective bargaining agreements, but also misrepresents and undermines the hard-earned concessions reached over years of principled negotiations,” the statement read.

The association warned that the nation’s healthcare sector is on the brink of collapse, plagued by an unrelenting brain drain, overburdened staff, and poor working conditions.

ANPMP said the attrition of skilled professionals is affecting both public and private health institutions, with younger doctors fleeing the country and older practitioners being forced into premature retirement or death due to extreme workload.

“If public doctors down tools, private practitioners will also feel the impact. We draw from the same pool of talent, the association warned, adding that any strike at this time would deal a devastating blow to patient care and deepen the country’s healthcare crisis.”

The ANPMP also called on the federal government to revamp the governance structure in the health sector, extending the constitution of management boards beyond tertiary hospitals to key institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and other regulatory bodies.

They criticised what they described as the government’s “last-minute negotiation tactics,” urging proactive engagement instead of reactive responses. “Don’t wait till the 20th day of a 21-day ultimatum before responding. The time to act is now,” the statement added.

ANPMP reaffirmed its commitment to improved healthcare delivery and urged the government to address the 18-point demands outlined by the NMA to avert a system-wide collapse.