Enugu Doctors Begin Strike

Doctors in federal health Institutions in Enugu State Monday embarked on a one week industrial action, which will hold monthly, in solidarity with their colleagues in the state-owned hospitals who have been on strike since December, 2010 to press home their demand for the payment of Consolidated Medical Salary Scheme by the State Government.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its congress recently, the Enugu State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said the one-week solidarity strike, earlier planned by doctors in federal institutions, could not hold in April 2011 following the elections scheduled within the month.

According to the communiqué, “there will be a total withdrawal of services by doctors in all federal institutions in Enugu for one week, with effect from Monday, May 2, 2011”

Calling on the Enugu State Government to urgently solve the lingering industrial disharmony in the health sector by implementing the CONMESS for doctors in the state employment, the communiqué expressed regret that Doctors in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital and other health institutions in the state have been on strike since December, 2010 as a result of non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scheme by the State Government.

Commenting on the non-implementation of the salary scheme, the state NMA Chairman, Dr. Kene Madu, said “it is high time the CONMESS was implemented; especially now that Governor Sullivan Chime has won his re-election bid. At least there is no more hindrance in his pursuit to continue in office”.

In reaction, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Chime, Chukwudi Achife said “it would not be advisable for the doctors to take the alleged course of action as it would only further aggravate the situation.

“It would certainly serve the best interests of all if they should adopt a less confrontational approach to the issue”, urging them to rather seek more peaceful way to resolve whatever may be the problem.

“The government is there for everyone. It cares and caters for everyone and it would be uncharitable for any section or group of people to seek to hold it to ransom, more so when matters can be resolved in a less frictional way”, he stressed.