NMA Suspends Nationwide Strike

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has agreed to call off its nationwide strike.

The president of the association, Dr Prosperous Igboeli stated this at the end of the executive council meeting in Abuja, warning that the body would return to the trenches after September 30 this year.

According to Dr Igboeli, the association would resume its nationwide strike if the federal government fails to implement the new salary structure it is demanding for doctors.

He said that from October all doctors would embark on an indefinite withdrawal of their services without notice, Dr Igboeli said, “taking cognisance of the fact that the ordinary Nigerian who did not contribute to the ruin in our health system would be the most affected by the horrible consequences of our withdrawal of service by doctors in Nigeria”.

The NMA president reiterated that the decision to suspend the strike came after the national executive council has resolved to give the government the last chance to avert the strike by prevailing on the Minister of Health to resolve the contentions issues at stake.

Dr Igboeli also expressed displeasure over the poor regulation of the traditional medical practice in the country, and called for adequate legislative measure to check their activities.

More worrisome about their activities, the NMA president said their advertisement of having cure for all kinds of ailment was misleading and unhealthy.

Board Chairman, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Alhaji Abubakar Laraje (right) chatting with NAMA Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Auyo at the Port Harcourt International airport, Omagwa