Ebola: MHWUN Hails FG’s Initiative

The medical and Health
Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has lauded the Federal Government on the efforts to combat the Ebola virus disease.
In a statement by the union, signed by its National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and obtained by The Tide in Port Harcourt, the federal government has been very sincere about resolving and tackling the spread of the Ebola Virus in the country.
Ayuba urged all hands to be on deck for the health emergency situation to be properly addressed, stressing that members of the union as primary stakeholders are professional workers in the health sector faced with the Ebola Virus challenge.
He said the Union is committed to mobilising its membership to actively rise up to the challenge of combating the spread of the dreaded disease.
Ayuba who is also the chairperson, West Africa Health Sector Unions Network said the Union and Stakeholders in the Health sector have taken the steps of training the trainers workshop and the stepping down of the expanded knowledge base and capacity to all the states and LGAs in the country.
He disclosed that the Union would partner with other stakeholders to develop and generate necessary information Education and Communication materials for a massive awareness campaign about the disease in Nigerians.
The union boss  said the proactive steps being taken by the federal government and other state governments have the support of the union, stressing that the response no doubt requires the qualitative and quantitative deployment of much needed human resources for health.
He further explained that the union welcome the federal government’s policy of recruitment of hundreds of health workers and professional to strengthen the poor health sub-system of the sector.
The labour leader urged the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association to call off their industrial strike action in the interest of Nigerians, stressing that the union has noted that the federal government has been very sincere about resolving that issues that led to the strike by the medical association.
H said the outbreak of the dreaded disease has occasioned a public health emergency situation that should touch NMA to call off the strike action.
He appealed to the NMA to join hands with the union and other health professional to provide the much needed essential service to Nigerian in this critical period by calling off their strike action.
Ayuba described the NMA’s strike action as an illegal strike action, advising NMA leadership that the issues at stake should be subjected to adjudication at the National Industrial Court in line with global best practice rather than jeopardise the lives of Nigerians.

Philip Okparaji