President of the NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe
The Nigerian Medical Association, on Monday in Abuja, declared an indefinite nationwide strike which has been scheduled to commence today (Tuesday).
The President of the NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe, during a press briefing on the failure of the Federal Regime to address their ordinant dictations and imperative of the strike, verbally expressed there was no going back.
The NMA had sent 24-point demands to the regime, including the discontinuation of apperception of non-medical medicos as Directors and Consultant designation to any other health worker other than medical medicos.
The demands withal include the appointment of a Surgeon-General of the Federation, payment of clinical obligation and hazard allowances and withdrawal of the Central Bank of Nigeria circular on medical laboratory equipment.
“The NMA is taking this painful route because our silence and gentle approach to these contending issues have been taken for granted. We have to take this action in order to preserve the health care distribution system from anarchy that is palpably imminent. We hereby appeal to all Nigerians for their construal and to press on the regime to meet with our demands”, he verbalized.
Obembe verbalized that the failure of the regime to address NMA’s demands has left the association with no other option than “to call all its members to down implement in order to press home their injuctive authorizations.”
Obembe verbalized there was no way non-medicos could be sanctioned to function as Consultants, given that they do not oversee patients in the hospital.
He verbalized, “A consultant is the owner of the patient; many health workers now go about acquiring Ph.D so that they can be called Medicos. The denomination should be restricted to only a medical medico.”
According to him, last week’s interim injunction by the National Industrial Court has no link with the NMA as it was merely an issue between Medical and Dental Consultants Association and the regime.
“Every medico is a member of the NMA; other affiliates are sanctioned to operate withal. We sought licit advice on the court injunction, our licit opinion is that the court order did not mention any reference to the NMA and since it did not mention NMA, we don’t want to dwell on it.”
On meetings it had with regime, Obembe verbally expressed, “We had a meeting with the Federal Regime. We tabled our minimal demands; the regime did not concur with NMA, but there is no terminus point. Some were referred to the court. There was no cessation point. While this was going on, the regime was issuing out circulars favouring other health workers.”
Copyright PUNCH.
