Crisis hits Nigeria’s health sector as doctors, others embark on strike

 

BY NICHOLAS ABE

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The health sector in Nigeria might be grinding toward total shutdown as the federal government squabble with doctors and other health employees over unfulfilled demands in remunerations by the government.

While National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD), on Monday began a nationwide strike, the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), umbrella body of various health workers and associations in Nigeria, says it will commence a nationwide warning strike from September 13, over the Federal Government’s failure to meet the union’s outstanding demands.

Mr Biobelemoye Josiah, the JOHESU Chairman, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.

Josiah listed the alleged short-changing of the union in the payment of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance (SIHA) to frontline health workers, as part of the union’s demands.

“It becomes imperative to inform you that if the federal government does not meet these demands by midnight of September 13, JOHESU will have no choice than to commence a nationwide seven days warning strike.

“The strike will include our members in all the Federal Health Institutions (FHIs), states and Local government health institutions,” Josiah said.

According to him, “JOHESU is forced to draw attention to the deliberate short-changing of our members in the payment of COVID-19 inducement allowances.

READ: https://reliablesourceng.com/gbajabiamila-appeals-to-health-workers-to-shelve-strike/

“The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) ought to redress and supervise the adherence to the payment of 40 per cent or 50 per cent COVID-19 SIHA as appropriate to all health workers in Isolation Centres, FHIs and other related health facilities.

“This is without discrimination bordering on clinical or non-clinical status based on our Memorandum of Understanding of April 21 and as admitted by the FMoH at a meeting of July 1 that the payment of 10 per cent was done in error.

“Consequently, FMoH agreed to correct the anomaly and pay the outstanding balance of 40 percent of Consolidated Basic Salary to all the beneficiaries hitherto earning N5,000 as hazard allowance.

“The federal government did not ensure total and full implementation of the July 1 agreement with JOHESU when it disbursed the third tranche of the allowance for June.

“This has created grumbling across our membership and the challenge of assuaging the affected and restive members.

“The situation has made it impossible to guarantee industrial harmony within the generality of JOHESU members,” Josiah said.

The JOHESU chairman also decried the recent increase in the pump price of fuel and hike in electricity tariff in the country.

“We at JOHESU take cognisance of the deregulation of fuel prices by the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency.

“We, in strong terms, reject the hike in electricity tariff, especially at this critical period occasioned by COVID-19 because it clearly increases the sufferings of poor Nigerians,” he said.

Resident doctors, including those in the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, complied with their national leadership’s call to down tool.

Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige, in a statement by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Health, implored the NARD members to resolve the outstanding issues with the Federal Government through dialogue.

He explained that in spite of the lean resources available due to the COVID-19 effects on crude oil, the government had addressed most of their demands, including Special Hazard and Inducement Allowances, and Group Life Insurance.

READ: https://reliablesourceng.com/fg-to-pay-health-workers-hazard-allowance/

The minister however, reminded the doctors that by labour laws and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, when issues are being conciliated, all parties are enjoined not to employ arm-twisting methods to intimidate or foist a state of helplessness on the other party, in this case, the Federal Ministry of Health.

He said: “There is a pending case in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), instituted by two civil society groups against NARD, the Minister of Health, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as well as the Minister of Labour and Employment.”

The doctors first embarked on an indefinite strike on June 15, but suspended it June 22 due to the intervention of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

They gave the government a four-week window to meet their demands on or before August 17.

But yesterday, they decided to resume the strike, having reached the conclusion that government had failed to fulfil its promises.

NARD National Publicity Secretary, Dr Stanley Egbuogu, told The Nation that the strike was total in many hospitals.

He said: “Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have complied fully because in most of the places we visited today (on Monday), we observed full compliance.

“We are also getting reports from different centres. By the end of today (yesterday), we will now be able to assess how far we have gone with compliance. For now, the result has been good.

“None of our members in treatment and isolation centres for the management of COVID-19 patients is working.  Only consultants and other doctors that are not our members are working.”