Averting Another Doctors Strike

President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Osahon Enabulele said last Wednesday that his association would embark on a five–day nationwide warning strike from today to press home their demands. That failure to get favourable result, will lead to a total shutdown of the nation’s public health institutions.

He said that after the issuance of a 21-day ultimatum, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, intervened and the ultimatum was extended by four weeks. At the expiration of the additional four weeks, the NMA again extended the ultimatum twice on account of the government’s constitution of a Presidential Committee and a promise to speedily resolve the issues with the NMA.

The NMA had asked for issues bordering on workplace condition; the reconstitution of the Nigerian Dental and Medical Council and the resolution of what it described as injustice meted out to doctors in their conditions of service. Others are funding, infrastructural as well as equipment upgrade in the health sector.

The association is angry that government had only been able to fulfill one demand which is the reconstitution of the Nigerian Dental and Medical Council out of the many promises made to the NMA.

Unacceptable as the situation may have turned out, we do not think that strike is the best approach to take now. The NMA represents a critical sector that should not throw Nigeria into another trauma just as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was calling off its strike.

Truly, the mood of the nation demands that patriots take things easy. Indeed, current security challenges in the country demand that the NMA and other unions that might be contemplating similar action should apply due discretion. Indeed, the NMA should consider the lives of innocent Nigerians that may be cut short in the event of any strike.

Strikes of similar nature by the NMA in the past resulted in many avoidable and untimely deaths, which made observers wonder if the professional oath taken by the doctors still amounts to anything.

It is however very saddening that government has failed to honour its pact with the association. The health sector is critical to any nation that hopes to maintain a healthy and productive citizenry. The huge capital flight the nation incurs through oversea health attention should worry the government.

Even if resources were not enough, a phased implementation of the agreement as well as continuous dialogue can avert strikes. It is not healthy that government would appear to wait for strikes before working on agreements with industrial unions.

That is why we hope that the Memorandum of Understanding the Federal Government had signed with the NMA would calm the situation and provide the basis for taking care of the demand.

Government and NMA must realise that the nation cannot afford another round of strike especially in the health sector now. In the interest of the country, let the dialogue resume while work goes on. This is moreso because when property is lost, not much is lost, but when life is lost all, is lost.