You must have heard the adage that ‘when two elephants fight, life gets squeezed out of the grass’. Unfortunately, this is the lot of many Nigerians who rely on 83 hospitals in the nation to get their healthcare.
Fears are high that except the government does something drastic, lives could be lost at these hospitals.
There is no action without consequences.
Tinubu’s government had lowered the people’s purchasing power by removing petrol subsidy and allowing naira to go on a free fall.
The people who rely on foreign products are finding it hard to now purchase some of their darling products.
In situations where their habits could not allow them stay away, they pay a high price on it.
This digs more hole into their now maigre earnings. No one is sure how long they can service that habit or let go.
Unfortunately, amidst the hardship, medical doctors in Nigeria have embarked on strike.
Sadly, this can have far-reaching consequences, particularly in federal hospitals, where thousands of patients rely on critical healthcare services.
It could lead to more deaths in those hospitals.
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) began a seven-day warning strike on Monday, November 18, 2024.
This strike threatens to disrupt medical activities in at least 83 health facilities and 64 medical schools across Nigeria.
The National President of MDCAN, Professor Muhammad Muhammad, revealed this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
In a communique issued last Thursday, the MDCAN declared the strike in response to the Federal Government’s failure to address their demands.
The strike will run from today, Monday, until Sunday, November 24, 2024.
Earlier in October, MDCAN had issued a 21-day ultimatum, from October 21 to November 11, for the government and other stakeholders to resolve their concerns.
Failing this, MDCAN warned that its members would withdraw services nationwide.
Medical Doctors Demands
The association’s demands include the inclusion of medical and dental lecturers in the selection process for the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
MDCAN is also calling for the harmonisation of the retirement age for medical and dental consultants to 70 years to reduce the impact of doctors’ migration.
Additionally, the association is demanding that the emoluments of medical lecturers on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) be corrected to address discrepancies in pay, entry-level positions, and pensions.
Professor Muhammad stated that “All universities owned by the federal and state governments with medical schools will be affected.
“This includes all teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, and state teaching and specialist hospitals in Nigeria”.
He continued: “We have 83 MDCAN chapters, which represent 83 teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, and specialist hospitals”.
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The association’s communique, signed by both Professor Muhammad and the Secretary-General, Professor Daiyabu Ibrahim, criticised the Governing Council Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe University for disregarding due process in the Vice-Chancellor selection.
Despite a clear government directive halting the process and nullifying any appointments based on it, MDCAN claimed that appointees continue to represent themselves as Vice-Chancellor.
Shortfall In Nigeria’s Healthcare System
The communique also highlighted the failure of the government to address key issues, such as the harmonisation of the retirement age for medical consultants and the current shortfall of critical manpower in the country’s healthcare system.
Additionally, MDCAN condemned the government’s inability to implement the CONMESS salary structure for clinical lecturers in all Nigerian universities, which it claims would address pay discrepancies, entry-level concerns, and pension contributions for its members.
The communique stated, “The MDCAN National Executive Council (NEC) declares a seven-day warning strike, affecting services in all Nigerian universities and hospitals, starting from 12:00 midnight, Monday, November 18, 2024, to 12:00 midnight, Sunday, November 24, 2024.”
More Demands from MDCAN
MDCAN is also calling on the Federal Government to immediately remove the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University for insubordination, in line with the Ministry of Education’s directive.
Also, the association has demanded that the government adopt an inclusive approach to advertising the Vice-Chancellor role, using the advertisement model recently issued by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as a prototype.
Further demands include the harmonisation of the retirement age of medical consultants to 70 years, the universal application of the CONMESS pay structure for all medical and dental officers, and the payment of arrears for the 2023 and 2024 Clinical Duty Allowance, as well as 25-35% CONMESS arrears for 2023.
The MDCAN NEC will reconvene on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. to review the situation and determine the next steps.
