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FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes - Health - Nairaland

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FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Nobody: 2:25pm On Jul 25, 2014
Miffed by recurring industrial actions in the health sector, the Federal Government may be considering the options of either proscribing the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) or privatizing all public health institutions.

A senior government official, Wednesday, in Abuja told The Nigerian Times that President Goodluck Jonathan is presently being advised on what to do in the situation, as the Federal Government is caught in the middle of the inter-union rivalry between the NMA and JOHESU that leaves many Nigerians without health care as often as they go on strike.

The NMA embarked on an indefinite strike action since July 1st, demanding among 24 things the payment of N13 billion wage demands for 2014, reserving the position of Chief Medical director to only medical doctors, appointment of Surgeon General of the Federation, passage of National Health Bill, providing security for doctors, increase in duty hazard and specialist allowances, as well as budget for residency training programme, reintegration of its members into the IPPIS platform, and reserving the title of consultants to only medical doctors.

The government officer revealed to The Nigerian Times that while government is negotiating with the medical doctors to return to work immediately and agreeing on many of the terms, JOHESU has written to the Ministry of Health of its plan to embark on another strike action in the event that government concedes to the demands of the doctors.

He said: “We cannot continue like this. NMA today, JOHESU tomorrow, and it has become a cat and mouse game. No responsible government will allow its employees hold it to ransom especially in a peculiar case like this.

“In the event that the Federal Government tows this course of action, the military will be deployed to guard the medical institutions with military and para-military medical professionals rendering services in the mean time.

“Then the ‘no work no pay’ principle will be enforced, doctors who are interested will be protected to resume duties while new ones will be employed to take their place.”

In a related development, Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Health Ndudi Elumelu, who also is a medical doctor, has given a hint that his Committee will be recommending the privatization of medical centres and hospitals maintained by government.

He made this disclosure at the third reconciliatory meeting between the NMA, Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry his committee convened on July 22.

Elumelu called for alternative ways of funding the country’s health sector which according to him has been paralysed by incessant strikes.

Also, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has described the ongoing nationwide strike by the NMA as selfish, unethical and illegal, alleging that the strike was a well calculated and orchestrated plan by the doctors to divert patients to their private clinics to milk them of their hard earned resources.

In a statement by the Secretary General of NANNM, Yusuf Badmus, on Sunday in Abuja, the union advised the Federal Government to “stop all government employed doctors from establishing private clinics while still in government employment, for the benefit of the citizens of this nation.”

“They should be called to order because their incessant strike is a gimmick to further divert innocent patients to their private clinics, where they (the doctors) stand to benefit.

“The government should have a rethink on the undue attention they give them and do what is right.

“The government should revert to the era when administrators administered the hospitals/health facilities while health professionals, including doctors do their professional duties that they are being paid for.

“The difference should be entry/exit points and professional/peculiar allowances of the different cadres of workers.

“This will go a long way towards checking and preventing unhealthy rivalry and end the incessant strike action, which leaves the innocent patient to suffer,” Badmus stated.

In an interview granted by the NMA President, Kayode Obembe, he said everybody should know that medical doctors in Nigeria are also human beings with blood, bones and flesh and as a result, they actually feel bad that the association should degenerate to such a condition.

According to Obembe, the doctors do not want to take the lives of the Nigerian citizens for a ride and as a result of that efforts are being made to make sure that hospital services are restored.

He said: “One thing I want to make clear is that we were also pushed to the wall before we had to go to this length. And some of the things we are talking about now, we have been discussing for years, and they are coming up again. I want to emphasise this: as far as this strike is concerned, the earlier the government listens to us and we restore services, the better for all of us.

“What I can say is that some of the demands we are making will actually forestall any (possible) industrial action in the future, if the government goes by our plan. Most of the demands that we are making are based on the question of relativity.

“Relativity actually implies that if you make any adjustment in the salary of any member of the health sector, doctors are not going on strike to make their own demands again. They should just use it (the relativity formula) to calculate that of a doctor. This is also what is happening overseas. In the United Kingdom, the salaries and remunerations of doctors are automatically adjusted, if there is inflation.

“Consequently, the demands we are making, if government approves, is that there will no longer be industrial action on the basis of remuneration. But then, that is if government keeps its own side of the bargain.

“In the same vein, most of the things we are asking for are things that have, in fact, existed before. Accordingly, if they restore to status quo what has always existed in teaching hospitals, we have no contention with going back to work. For example, teaching hospitals have always been known to have consultants. If government restores what has been happening before, we can’t go on strike on that. In view of all this, I can say that if government keeps its own side of the bargain, there will be no strike in the foreseeable future. But here is the proviso: they must keep their own side of the bargain.”

Concerning the rivalry between medical doctors and other health workers Obembe said: “We are not fighting over superiority. And nobody is contending over our superiority. That’s not the language. We’ve always expressed this to the public: all the issues of superiority, leadership and harmony, in fact, don’t exist.

“It is some people fabricating that. All we have in the health sector are people who have been trained to do certain jobs. For example, as a medical doctor, one can receive training as a gynaecologist, obstetrician, radiologist and others. I cannot go and do the work of a nurse, or a medical laboratory scientist.

“It is not a question of superiority. It is not a question of one being bigger than the other. Therefore, everybody needs to work according to his profession and according to what he’s been trained for. We’re not attaching any priority or superiority and nobody is challenging us about our superiority – our leadership. There is nobody we’re referring to as being inferior; there’s no inferiority complex we’re ascribing to anybody.

“The structure of the health sector can simply be illustrated as having doctors and non-doctors; or you can say medical and non-medical workers. You can also refer to the non-medical personnel as allied health workers.

“Occasionally, the non-medical professionals are referred to as paramedics or allied medical workers or allied health professionals. That’s basically the structure; that’s how the hospital operates.

“The medical personnel are those made up of doctors and are trained according to the medical school curriculum; they can become consultants on that line. The non-medical workforce, which include the nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and others who are working in the hospital, are all in the allied professions. That’s the simple way of explaining the structure to outsiders.”

http://nigeriantimes.ng/news/fg-to-ban-nma-johesu-over-incessant-strikes/

1 Like

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Decibel: 2:26pm On Jul 25, 2014
Excellent move!!Those organisations are willing tools in the hands of the oppositions; they are also worse than Boko Haram cool

13 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by omicron(m): 3:11pm On Jul 25, 2014
So JOHESU is already warming up for a strike of their own? No comment, till then.

The Federal government got itself into this 'chaos', when it kept playing politics with the healthcare sector instead of equipping the hospitals to make them world-class and curbing the alarming rate of medical quackery, which has dragged the medical practice in Nigeria to where it is now, at the detriment of the common man.

Doctors will be ever-ready for any thing the government will do in order to save the health sector from all who now see the hospital as students' politics arena.

...doctors will ''always protect the traditions of the Medical Profession by ALL MEANS...'' as stated in the Oath, and in the best Interest of our sole reason for their existence - The Patient.

10 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by adeoladrg(m): 3:45pm On Jul 25, 2014
Cool something
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by armadeo(m): 6:00pm On Jul 25, 2014
Story story......
Once upon a time....
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by sogodihno: 6:16pm On Jul 25, 2014
I av to disagree on one point sir: Medical is not restricted to doctors, because if it's restricted to doctors, den d word "medical doctor" will b tautology. Tanks

34 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by b3llo(m): 6:30pm On Jul 25, 2014
NMA is turning to something else but they signed and took an oath in order to save life. I can conclude that NMA are puppets in the hands of the opposition to rubbish the government of the day. Too many trade union in Nigeria coming up with different demands, We should all hope for a better day ahead.

3 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by phantom(m): 6:35pm On Jul 25, 2014
then they should also get ready to proscribe NBA and NSE..... bunchajokers

2 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by snazzylove: 6:46pm On Jul 25, 2014
They should ban dem jare. Our doctors are too greedy and selfish. Imagine the height of wickedness and heartlessness, denying the common Nigerian of quality and cheap medical service, while they are all busy making money in their private clinics.
I think the first step should be to ban all doctors under the FG payroll from owning a private hospital. Let's see how far they will go with their incessant strike actions.

21 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by prettyprettywow: 7:12pm On Jul 25, 2014
This is getting interesting.

1 Like

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by dakotchic(f): 8:56pm On Jul 25, 2014
Nooo Ndudi Elumelu is not a medical doctor!

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by NWANICHODE: 8:57pm On Jul 25, 2014
Like say I just scrolled down to read comments
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by aluunoble: 9:31pm On Jul 25, 2014
Please can a legal luminary in the house who's vested with the provision of labour law educate us with the parlance proscribtion esp as it relates to a Union and an association?
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by musaak: 10:32pm On Jul 25, 2014
sogodihno: I av to disagree on one point sir: Medical is not restricted to doctors, because if it's restricted to doctors, den d word "medical doctor" will b tautology. Tanks
it is used that way to distinguish doctors that that treat medical ailment from other doctors such as academic doctors in the university with phd degree.

31 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by prettyprettywow: 10:49pm On Jul 25, 2014
Na wa o. Imagine Obembe "we have medical and non-medical workers. Medical workers are Drs while non-medical are allied health workers" If the word "medical refers to Drs alone, I wonder why we have "medical"lab scientists, Medical rehab, medical image scientists.

25 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Tobbie9(m): 11:27pm On Jul 25, 2014
Opee o they should privatise this shit let everybody go and rest

7 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Nobody: 1:48am On Jul 26, 2014
prettyprettywow: Na wa o. Imagine Obembe "we have medical and non-medical workers. Medical workers are Drs while non-medical are allied health workers" If the word "medical refers to Drs alone, I wonder why we have "medical"lab scientists, Medical rehab, medical image scientists.



obembe is right.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_health_professions

8 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by prettyprettywow: 2:22am On Jul 26, 2014
thepathologist:



obembe is right.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_health_professions
He also said " “Occasionally, the non-medical professionals are referred to as paramedics or allied medical workers or allied health professionals. That’s basically the structure; that’s how the hospital operates."

But according to online sources on paramedics "The paramedic is a healthcare professional who works in emergency medical situations. A paramedic may be more formally defined as a medical professional who provides medical care to sustain life in the pre-hospital environment, usually in an emergency, at the point of illness or injury" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramedic
So how come pharmacists, nurses, lab scientists, physiotherapists are paramedics?
Or are Nigerian Drs having problems understanding the English language? According to your link, it says "Allied health professions are health care professions distinct from nursing, medicine, and pharmacy", so how come nursing and pharmacy are classified as allied health professionals by Nigerian Drs?

Again obembe said, "“The structure of the health sector can simply be illustrated as having doctors and non-doctors; or you can say medical and non-medical workers. You can also refer to the non-medical personnel as allied health workers."

We can as well categorize health sector workers as Nurses and non-nurses, or Pharmacists and non-pharmacists, or Drs and non-Drs etc

25 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Morotov1(m): 6:01am On Jul 26, 2014
Dr Obembe is leading Nigerian doctors to abyss and Dr Ndudi Elumelu is going to seal the pit with concentrated cement.
NMA should back out now and save face.
Use dialogue ....no matter how long it take.

5 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by provenus(f): 11:51pm On Jul 26, 2014
Hate, hate, and more hate.
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Nobody: 1:34am On Jul 27, 2014
Just like the Ban worked for ASUU cheesy grin

9 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by jayseehe(m): 5:54am On Jul 27, 2014
he doesn't have the power to do so

oh, I forgot he is a dictator

1 Like

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Nobody: 5:56am On Jul 27, 2014
Run no reach Run naim dae make woman dae hold bre.st mak e no fall comot
if lion pursue woman....she go 4get say she get bre.st talkless of holding dm nt to fall dae run 4 her live
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Akbee(m): 5:57am On Jul 27, 2014
poor working conditions shud be outlawed n made a thing of the past too...they are fighting for a just cause...why wasn't ASUU proscribed when its members we're on industrial action?bad boy johnny n his bad kids called advisers...

2 Likes

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by hrmkz: 5:57am On Jul 27, 2014
Naija...

When will we get it right.
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by bunmioguns(m): 5:58am On Jul 27, 2014
God help us in this country
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Henrypraise: 5:58am On Jul 27, 2014
Very gud move
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by shadowwalker101: 6:00am On Jul 27, 2014
Okay we have heard
[img]http://www.?aff=391[/img]
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by alaladakosta(f): 6:00am On Jul 27, 2014
Mtcheew.

1 Like

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Omexonomy: 6:01am On Jul 27, 2014
Both parties should be tied to the stake and shot in their heads.

1 Like

Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by HARDUBUY(m): 6:01am On Jul 27, 2014
Will this bring back our girls?
Re: FG To Ban NMA, JOHESU Over Incessant Strikes by Nobody: 6:02am On Jul 27, 2014
Won't work....will only make things worse.

Better you get NMA and JOHESU to have a roundtable discussion on the way forward.

And confidentially....NMA and JOHESU are fighting the wrong war. What we should be fighting for is 30% of the national budget....plus NHIS being made universal. Now that is a war worth having! smiley

2 Likes

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