Medical doctors in the public and private
hospitals in Oyo State have threatened to stay off their duty posts if
the state government refuses to accede to the request of their striking
colleagues in the next few days. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
gave the warning in Ibadan yesterday.
Addressing a press conference at the state
secretariat of the NMA in Ibadan on Thursday, the state Chairperson,
Millicient Obajimi disclosed that members of the association working in
the state have resolved to join their colleagues in the state’s service
in their strike as mark of sympathy.
Health workers under the service of the state
government, acting under the aegis of Association of Medical and Dental
Officers of Oyo State (AMDO) have been on strike for the past five
weeks to demand for the implementation of Consolidated Medical Salary
Scale (CONMESS).
Mrs Obajimi blamed the state government for
insensitivity to the plight of its medical staff, adding that the
University College Hospital (UCH), which is acting as relief for the
state, will soon be shut to sink in their message.
Government’s insensitivity
She disclosed that the UCH is already overburdened
by the spillovers from the state hospitals, wondering what will be the
fate of those seeking health care if the Teaching Hospital is not there
and the state government remains adamant.
Making reference to a number of deadlocked
meetings with the government on the matter, the NMA boss submitted that
the attitude of the state government has not been encouraging.
The government’s irresponsive posture, she added,
was responsible for why the national body had given the go-ahead for
the sympathy strike which will commence on Monday.
She pleaded for more understanding and sense of
commitment to the cause of health by the state authorities, saying the
cost of damages suffered in the last five weeks of the strike is
unquantifiable.
“We don’t want UCH doctors to be over-stressed,
the tertiary hospital is for referral and there is distortion when the
second tier collapses as we presently have in the state which is why we
are calling on the state government to save the situation by acceding
to the request of our members,” Mrs Obajimi said while stressing the
negative effect of the prolonged strike on the UCH resources.
Disputing the usual complaint from states of not being carried along
by the federal government while negotiating wage enhancements, Mrs
Obajimi said none of the negotiations were implemented without
contributions from states.
