Nationwide Doctors' Strike Continues!!!

Medic-ALL (09:08:2014)

In the midst of controversies and conflicting reports over the suspension of the nearly 6weeks old nationwide strike by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), The National President of the body, Dr. Kayode Obembe earlier in the week tendered his resignation.

Dr. Kayode Obembe

Obembe had on Thursday announced the suspension of the strike action embarked upon by the union following the appeal by the government sequel to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

However, the Lagos State chapter of the union said the suspension of the strike was not agreed on by the leadership of the NMA at its meeting on Thursday.

Ohembe’s full letter, titled: Clarification, reads: “There has been a request for clarification about the two postings from the NMA secretariat on the NMA blog.

“I want to make it categorically cleared that I stand by the very letter of the document that I signed – THAT THE STRIKE WAS SUSPENDED.

“And since upon my INTEGRITY AND HONOUR, I cannot continue to drive the doctrine that ‘STRIKE CONTINUES’, I hereby tender my letter of resignation as NMA President”.

It should be recalled that Dr. Obembe had, a few weeks after his election, premised the strike action on the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands saying there was no going back, the NMA subsequently sent 24 demands to the government including discontinuation of recognition of non-medical doctors as Directors and Consultant title to any other health worker, other than medical doctors before embarking on the withdrawal of service on the 1st of July.

The demands also include appointment of a Surgeon – General of the Federation, clinical duty and hazard allowances and withdrawal of the Central Bank of Nigeria circular on medical laboratory equipment.

Meanwhile, there are strong ndications that the  Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) are threatening to commence an industrial action if the Government goes ahead to accede to the demands of the NMA.

While the country's health sector continues to be in a state of turmoil as the doctors' strike clocks day 40, more suspected cases of the Ebola epidemic continue to be discovered, with 139 persons presently under surveillance, we can only hope that sooner than later ,all the authorities concerned particularly the Federal Government will come to favourable and healthy compromise.

Medic-ALL.Inc 2014