Strike: Doctors will not shift grounds until demands are met – NMA

Ten days after Nigerian doctors embarked on a nationwide industrial action there seem not to be a head way, as they have remained adamant on not resuming work until their demands are met.

The President, Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Kayode Obembe yesterday decried the attitude of the Federal Government in respect to meeting the demands tabled before it.

He said that, though there was a Memorandum of Agreement signed but that the circulars that came from the federal government as a follow up were found faulty and did not tackle the issues brought to the fore, which were the causes of the strike.

He said that circulars were analyzed by the doctors during an emergency meeting yesterday, which gave the doctors an impression that the federal government was playing on their intelligence, as the circulars were a rehash of previous circulars.

He added that doctors are awaiting six months’ salary arrears and have refused to shift grounds until the payment is done and others demand met as any otherwise action without proper conclusion would mean resumption of strike action, which could earn the association a bad name.

Obembe further explained that one of the issues was the skipping of position placement, which was started by other health workers and was further tolerated by the federal government while it was not extended to medical doctors even when the development was reported.

The NMA president also expressed sadness that the court or judiciary has been subtly dragged into the politics that want to rubbish the profession, as it is trying to define the qualifications of a medical doctor and consultant when doctors have spent nearly 20 years of their lives to qualify.

He, however, expressed optimism that federal government will attend to their demands as quick as soon as possible so that the doctors could resume work.