Here are some sources that share the views of some Lagos Doctors who are striking. If anyone finds any more sources, please post them along with the source:

http://chocolatechutzpah./2012/05/18/when-doctors-weep

[b]Dr. D, an NMA spokesperson said; “Bola Ahmed Tinubu was part of the government team that signed an agreement with Lagos doctors last year, Fashola should honor the agreement. FYI, Lagos judicial workers earn more than Federal judicial workers. Fashola must be a Governor of all not a group”

Dr. IN, a Lagos state doctor has this to say: “The consolidated medical salary scale (CONMESS) was the salary structure designed by the Federal Government four years ago with the aim of providing a uniform salary scale for doctors irrespective of the state, kind of hospital and area of specialization with an annual increment denoting years of experience. Most states in the country immediately began paying CONMESS in full. Two years after this, the medical guild wrote several letters to the Lagos Government to remind them of CONMESS as they were yet to be paid. The governor then SIGNED an agreement that he would commence payment in 2011 with arrears being owed. The Federal Government made it clear that if CONMESS was paid, doctors would ignore the poor work conditions, work extended hours like they have been accustomed to (but this time they would be happy doing it) and they wouldn’t have to leave the country to work abroad. More people would be encouraged to train as doctors and the health of the people would be secured! Instead, tax was increased, CONMESS was not paid, work conditions were not improved, doctors’ lives were lost to stress related illnesses and medical hazards and call rooms were not provided for doctors on call. When Governor Fashola was reminded in January, he simply said the President couldn’t dictate how much he would pay doctors in his state and the tax increase was necessary so the doctors should get used to it! He said he couldn’t afford to pay CONMESS (but he could plan the most expensive birthday party in the World for Alhaji Tinubu). We then embarked on a legal 3-day warning strike with prior notice to sensitize the people and remind the government of the signed agreement. On resumption, all doctors were given individual query letters (for a joint action!), another one was issued, and then letters were issued for “call to panel / impending dismissal from duty”. A week later, armored tanks were brought to all Lagos General Hospitals and Teaching Hospital Lasuth, Ikeja with doctors walked out of their clinics while seeing patients. The Med guild immediately called for an indefinite strike and the Lagos state government was sued for breach of agreement and victimization of doctors. Fake pay slips were published in the papers some weeks ago claiming doctors were being paid as much as 900,000 whereas a medical professor of 20 years has never been paid as much as 500,000. A Neurosurgeon (brain surgeon) consultant still collects 171,000 as basic salary (excluding allowances). Be informed we have only about 20 in Nigeria (Two of them with Lagos state, they trained in America and they have both been sacked!) and these are doctors who work round the clock due to the number of head injuries daily as a result of road traffic accidents. 3 days ago, we were issued sack letters and 97 doctors (not 373 like you heard) were employed as Locum doctors (doctors paid per hour). These locum doctors need residents and consultants to put them through. It takes years of experience to perform a caesarian section on a woman or a brain surgery (especially bore hole to relieve increased brain pressure or blood in the brain) or an appendectomy or treat a sick child or even to help a mentally ill patient. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has made it clear that the newly appointed doctors should not & would not accept the job offer and that all doctors across the nation would join in the strike against victimization on Friday after the ongoing professional exams. The issue is now beyond CONMESS struggle – the government is aiming to devour the medical and dental profession. Be informed that doctors are not slaves, our Hippocratic oath explains that we owe an obligation to our patients and they owe an obligation to us and our services must be paid for.”

Dr. OF, a doctor working outside Lagos says: “Where I work, I have not gone on leave for 5 years because of the patients. No time to see my parents or siblings, attend burial of friends and relatives and weddings of close friends. I have lost many friends who think that I’m only pretending to be busy meanwhile I see patients every other day that can only be equated to church sessions. Many people cannot sit near a HIV positive patient, but these are the people, whose blood I put hands in everyday during surgery, and their blood splashes into my eyes, mouth and face yet I endure because I won’t abandon them to die. I risk my own life and my family’s life every day to care for others. What I get as hazard allowance monthly is only N5000!!! If I ask my employer to keep an agreement to help me feed my family, is that too much to ask?”

Dr. B, a Nigerian medical doctor practicing in the US says; “Nigerians need to change their mindset, doctors have lost it all in Naija, from money to respect. The respect and pay of registered nurses (RN) in the US is unthinkable let alone doctors. In many instances you will have to downplay being a doctor because of the attention you get”

Dr. OO had this to say: “We live in a tribal society: ethnic tribes, religious tribes and in this case professional tribe, so I understand why non-doctors would find the fact that doctors should ever have a reason to go on strike repulsive and why doctors would find the lack of understanding from the general populace unbelievable. Like all polarized debates, people are leaning towards their gut instinct, which is hardly objective, but emotionally driven. The doctors’ association needs to get off the emotional debate because trust me statements such as “oh, I work too hard and earn so little” is never going to come out tops against sentiments like “my dad died yesterday because doctors were on strike.” Looking at it in this manner, it becomes easier to understand why we are losing what Dr. F calls the “PR war” and why we are likely to lose future ones. As a doctor, I know first-hand what it is like to treat patients without light, giving injection drugs in the dark, putting myself at the risk of needle stick injuries far from the watching eyes of the public. I do it because, like the public, I care about your dad not dying even though I know you would never ask if a needle pricked me last night. I remember a particular incidence. We had an emergency, an unconscious pregnant woman with a blood pressure 280/220mmhg (severe hypertension) who was almost at term. She was unbooked and my call was almost over but I was available. Her husband had just 200 Naira on him. We had to operate on her within the next hour with no blood, no money and no drugs. But guess what? We did! That was the first time I had a needle stick injury because NEPA/PHCN was at their norm. Minutes later the air was filled with the cry of a pretty baby girl in the arms of a doting grandmother and father. In the background were the moans of a slowly rousing mother and then there was me with a pensive look on my face while awaiting the results of my HIV test. I was okay. Even though, I had worked overtime and had to be up to make work in the morning which was now 2 hours away, there was no complain, no feeling of accomplishment because in my “tribe” I was not unique. It is the story of 788 and thousands of other people I share a proud profession with. I got a gracious thank you from the family, a thankful smile from the now recuperating mother and a smiling appreciation from my parents when I narrated it to them. So to the “court of public opinion” we don’t just measure remunerations in cash only, we do in kind as well. I am sure I am a thousand “thank you” richer and a million “smiles” wealthier because of the job I do. Now all we are asking is that the LASG should match our generosity with trustworthiness and our patience with understanding.”

Dr. K summarizes the doctor’s plight in these words: “Back in the days the next to a nation’s president was the surgeon General…what do we have now? Back in the days doctors used to get accommodation for free or for cheaper prices now doctors are being evicted from the shams they call quarters. Back then you would never want to travel to America after medical school because you were entitled to a car and good pay but now doctors go to even Ghana where circumstances are better for doctors. Back then we had functioning hospitals but now we cancel surgeries week-in week-out because there are no sterile materials, no dependable power supply…”

Dr. T warns: “A government not sensitive to the health of its citizenry is like a walking corpse. Worse of all is the senseless approach to employ rookie doctors to fill in for consultants. I sympathize with the poor people of Lagos state, I pray for the doctors who have always left their families to take care of us despite the harsh conditions, I would advise Governor Fashola to have a rethink and reinstate the sacked doctors.”[/b]

Excuse me sir/madam, you said you received a thank you from the parents of the child you helped deliver right? My question is this you doctors walk around saying things like you save human lives and a lot of people will be dead if not for your efforts(statement which we don't doubt) but do you doctors also double as accountants? How do you know how much is in the government accounts? Do you realise that because of the significance of your job, your minimum wage is almost ten times that of the civil service? The country is in shambles in case you don't know and the state also has to build roads, schools and maintain security(incase we forget, the state government also pay some money to each policeman in the state). You are already highly paid and people hold you in high regard but still you want more. What more can the government and the people do for you? Give you the entire budget or what? Please think about it and see if you are being fair or not

oliver twist doctors ..................ask dbanj

REDs house: oliver twist doctors ..................ask dbanj

At least Oliver Twist was given a little. They have the largest share and still they chose to be Oliver

Mynd_44: Excuse me sir/madam, you said you received a thank you from the parents of the child you helped deliver right? My question is this you doctors walk around saying things like you save human lives and a lot of people will be dead if not for your efforts(statement which we don't doubt) but do you doctors also double as accountants? How do you know how much is in the government accounts? Do you realise that because of the significance of your job, your minimum wage is almost ten times that of the civil service? The country is in shambles in case you don't know and the state also has to build roads, schools and maintain security(incase we forget, the state government also pay some money to each policeman in the state). You are already highly paid and people hold you in high regard but still you want more. What more can the government and the people do for you? Give you the entire budget or what? Please think about it and see if you are being fair or not

I take this response as directed to the doctors. The Lagos govt is the one that wants to provide a subsidized or free health care to its citizens. Therefore it is the responsibility of the government to be the accountants and uphold their agreements. The doctors should not have to care how much the Lagos govt has in their account, the doctors are the ones being scouted by the Lagos Govt not the other way around.

The state already had its responsibilities before having its own doctors okay. If the state does not have enough money, it should not have signed the CONMESS agreement and it should have let the doctors go their way. But it did not do that. The government can pay what it owes the doctors, what it owes them according to CONMESS not what the govt decides to pay them willy-nilly.

And for a broke govt, that was quite an expensive birthday celebration for a former governor.

Shared compromise should be the way forward !.

Tunmi:

I take this response as directed to the doctors. The Lagos govt is the one that wants to provide a subsidized or free health care to its citizens. Therefore it is the responsibility of the government to be the accountants and uphold their agreements. The doctors should not have to care how much the Lagos govt has in their account, the doctors are the ones being scouted by the Lagos Govt not the other way around.

The state already had its responsibilities before having its own doctors okay. If the state does not have enough money, it should not have signed the CONMESS agreement and it should have let the doctors go their way. But it did not do that. The government can pay what it owes the doctors, what it owes them according to CONMESS not what the govt decides to pay them willy-nilly.

And for a broke govt, that was quite an expensive birthday celebration for a former governor.

what agreement? That one they signed under duress? Okay fine they can't pay and their stand has been simple if you can't manage with us go. Are they not the employers? They say your services are no longer needed so travel out to source for jobs

emiye: Shared compromise should be the way forward !.

How do you compromise with people who don't want to compromise with you? The doctors are saying it's their way or the highway and of you don't give them what they are asking for, they are not working or treating anybody and this is not the first time they've proved that point and they don't about any dead patient...

They want to get paid what they want, not what the employer is offering or compromise with. The doctors are the employees, they are the boss, the dictators and shot callers.

@op, that write up is biased in its judgement and could you kindly post how much the judiciary earns in Lagos?

I have heard doctors accuse everyone else of jealousy. Some have said that if other people want to earn what doctors are earning, then they should go and study medicine.

Therefore, if doctors want to earn what lawyers/judges are earning, they should go back to the university and study law.

We have fully implemented CONMESS –Health Commissioner

It’s not the best of times for the sick in Lagos state. For over three weeks, doctors and the state government have been embroiled in a battle of wits following the doctors’ indefinite strike over the implantation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in the state. Last week, the state government announced the dismissal of 788 doctors and promptly evicted them from their living quarters. The state commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris in this interview by HEALTH EDITOR SAM EFERARO and ASSISTANT EDITOR SEKINAH LAWAL said the state government had fully implemented the CONMESS salary scheme saying the government did everything possible to avoid the doctors’ strike. Excerpts:

Sir, do you think the dismissal of the doctors will bring a positive end to the crisis?

Over the years we’ve been bending over backwards allowing everything to go for the sake of peace. People have developed this attitude that they can do anything they like. They can undermine the system and they go to any length to do whatever it is they want to do. This current strike, personally, I don’t know what they are striking for. What is inter-esting is that they will not tell the pub-lic the truth because they feel they have the power and nobody is going to blame them. Every single thing they ask for, the government has implemented.

But the doctors say  there’s an agree-ment which the government signed and that the government failed to  honour its own part.

They said government should pay full CONMESS.  Mind you, if you look at the history, it didn’t start today. If you look at the circular they are talking about, it was a Federal Circular affecting only federal institutions. When the argument started the first time, we said ok for the sake of peace… but again the state gov-ernment decided that “look, I’m  tired of all this back and forth,  I have a right to establish my own salary scheme,” which they did.

I cannot even tell you the story that went behind it and what it took because government got consul-tants, spent a lot of money to come up with that scheme. It was decided that nobody in this state will be at a disad-vantage. 

In the course of implementing the scheme, the health sector was given proper priority. We conceded a lot of things to them because of the peculiar-ity of that sector. When all the other sec-tors were pegged to 2 levels – even those 2 levels is a higher salary –  and that one was to correct the anomaly within the system. In the former system you could be on grade level  12 step 10 and be earn-ing more than somebody on level 13.

If you are going to another level automati-cally, your years of experience and other things were taken care of. For the health sector, we elongated that system because of their peculiarity so if they are talking about that agreement, it was fully imple-mented. But they will not tell you that in implementing that agreement they got a bonus, one month salary bonus which all the other people did not get.

Now that others have heard,  they are demanding their own, more so when they did not even go on strike.  I’m telling you this to let you how far government went. At the end of that strike we had a decision to continue to dialogue. This year alone, we’ve held at least four meetings with them. If you look at what they are complaining about, they are not enough to go on strike. The first one, they want teaching allowance for house officers and we said we will not pay because house officers do not teach.

That’s the only difference between house officers and those on grade level 12. Ev-ery other thing, we are paying figure for figure (with the Federal Scheme). Even when the salary thing was published and they were making  so much noise, I asked the DFA here to go and crosscheck again and he came yesterday to say we are paying figure for figure.

What they will not tell the public is that if you get a loan it will be deducted from your sal-ary and that’s what will reflect in your pay. If you live in government house they will not pay you housing allowance.

Those are the things they will not tell the public that showed the differences (on pay slip). Apart from the house of-ficer on grade level 12 figure for figure as in CONMESS we are paying. We’ve told them if they have anything to the contrary, they should publish it.

They will not tell you that we had to spread the bonus they got over three months because it was not planned for, all for the sake of peace. We were (still) discussing before and the issue of strike did not come up until we started seeing text messages talking about warning strike. We called them to a meeting and we told them this is not our agreement. If you have any issue, bring them and let’s discuss.

Shortly before that in the course of our discus-sion, we told them  that during imple-mentation there could be mistakes and they should bring such anomalies. They brought  the evidence  and I sent a copy to LASUTH and other hospitals.

They confirmed the anomalies and we agreed quickly to remedy them.  We went to the Ministry of Establishment and they agreed to implement the remedy which they have started doing. The other one they said some hospitals in the same level are getting different things and we said it’s an anomaly. People on the same level should earn the same thing.

We told them to bring it up because it was an error and it was only in LASUTH. The only two areas where we disagreed was the issue of house officers. There was a document that the National Wages Commission over this CONMES sent to the Minister of Health explaining the category of health workers who should benefit from teaching allowance.

Those two categories were not on that list. In any case, even if any federal institution is paying, they have the money we don’t.  Moreso, you don’t qualify for the allow-ance because you don’t teach. The second issue, they said if you are a new consultant you should be started on grade level 15 step 4.

This is a com-plex issue. It’s an establishment matter. It was even today I fully understood the whole thing. It was the Head of Service that explained it properly. Before, they had two levels for consultants one for the consultants who are not specialists who started from level 15 step 1 and those who did residents and became special-ists who are placed on grade level 15 step 4.

In the new salary scheme, all those factors have been considered in arriv-ing at the figure so any new consultant will start on grade level 15 step 1. We say if you are an old person and you still have the salary dichotomy bring it and we will rectify, which we’ve done. Their grouse is for people who are not in the system and we say how can you be fight-ing for those who have not come into the system?

Anybody coming in newly, you are the one who wants to work for Lagos state. If we tell you this is what we are paying it’s either you take it or leave it. So why must you be fighting for anyone who has not joined the system? Those are the two areas where we parted ways. When they started talking about strike we begged and appealed, moreso, when the notice of strike was given 24 hours before they went on strike.

You see when you wake up as a health personnel with all your Hippocratic oath and you can just wake up one day and say you are going on warning strike. They are used to it because they know people will come with emotions. Oh peo-ple will die, this is health sector and they know this so it’s like playing God.

They will not tell the people the truth. Now, if we pay teaching allowance to house of-ficers the nurses will come and also ask for teaching allowance for nurses in the lower level. The pharmacists will also come. The other issue now is about disci-pline in the civil service.

Once that fabric that holds the civil service is destroyed then you destroy the  service. They went on strike, the civil service regulation says first give a query to explain why he did not come to work. They said nobody should respond, we sent the second que-ry and they said nobody should respond and then the third.

The Civil service set up the PMD, the disciplinary committee. Some of them responded and they were exonorated. They had the last opportu-nity in spite of all these when the house waded in last Saturday. All these would have been resolved but they insulted many of us  at that meeting including the deputy speaker.

My question is if you continue like this, any other group of workers can say to hell with you be-cause you’ve done it for doctors. It has got to a particular level where they feel they cannot be disciplined because of the emotion often attached and they commit all sorts of atrocities.  How much will you beg? They feel they are untouchable which is a fallacy?

There are people looking for job. Ev-erybody is leaving the private sector  to come to the public sector. How many states are paying the salary we are paying? Check it, how many states? We have a huge workforce. They are so comfortable many of them don’t go to work, they run their private practices. I’m a doctor that’s why I can’t speak out be-cause I will put my  profession in jeopardy. There must be a stop to this because at the end of the day, it is the people that will keep on suffering when you just wake up one day and you say you are going on a warning strike; you don’t care about the patient. That’s not how we were trained.

You are a medical doctor. I just wonder, since they are your colleagues, is there no channel through which you could have met with them to ensure the issue does not generate to a strike and even this sack?

After that strike (last year) we made a decision that we will dialogue. As I said, I’ve held four meetings with them. Even the Governor attended one of their meet-ings  and at that meeting,  they promised they  would not go on strike again. We were talking. Some of them have access to my house and that’s why it was so surprising that you were contemplating a strike we had a meeting about three weeks before then and all these things did not come up. Unknown to me,  they went to Estab and it was based on their decision at Estab that the Permanent  Secretary,  Civil Service Commission wrote to me to go back to Estab to state our case. Upon all that, we called them to a meeting and told them that was not our agreement. So how else do you want us to dialogue?

How is the government going to resolve the issue now? Are you sure you can get up to 700 doctors

When you want to effect changes it’s not going to be easy. But these changes are very necessary now. We are going to implement different code of ethics. Yes, people will get very emotional   but if you start saying all these outside I’ll be destroying my own profession. That’s why I’ve not said much. See the salary structure that we published, they are now saying we have made them a se-curity risk because the public did not know they were getting that much. But they keep telling people that we are not paying. That we signed an agreement and we did not pay.

That’s what they are telling the public. Look at the Chairman of NMA, if you really value life, you did not even call us to find out what hap-pened. Instead, you wrote a letter saying you heard we are harassing and intimi-dating doctors and we should withdraw the query if not, they will call national strike. They are playing God. They feel they can hold everybody to ransom be-cause they are doctors.  If the nurses go on strike today, they can’t work. But it is our country they are even embarrassing.

There’s the rumour that the new doctors are fresh doctors who have no experi-ence.

That is not true. The people that are coming, some of them have been practis-ing for seven to nine years. We still have the consultants in the same hospitals.  They are not on strike  but they are un-dermining the system because by  virtue of the civil service regulation, you can’t go on strike if you are on level 14.

It will be stupid to employ all green people. That’s not the true picture. The people who are coming are of different grades and they are going to work under the consultants. More people are applying.


http://nationalmirroronline.net/health/health-news/39980.html

Okay let the OP defend the above

This government is tired of strikes – Dr. Jide Idris

This government is tired of strikes. Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who confirmed this in an interview with Sola Ogundipe and Chioma Obinna,  was only echoing the thoughts of millions of Lagosians and Nigerians as a whole.

Idris who said the sacking of 788 striking doctors was a difficult decision for the government, however, argued that it was in the overall interest of the health sector. Denying claims that it was a premeditated decision, he said the priority now is to reduce the negative effects of the crisis on the patients. Excerpts:

BEFORE resorting to sacking, was there no other measure government could have taken to avoid the impasse between it and the Medical Guild?


Government did everything possible. The last time the doctors went on strike, the government gave many concessions and that was what formed the basis of the agreement.

That same agreement has been implemented. Contrary to the information they have been spreading, we are paying CONMESS figure for figure within the platform of the state health policy. It was on basis of the doctors’ agitation that we published the figures. If they have anything contrary, let them bring it up.

After the last strike, it was decided by both parties to resolve matters amicably by dialogue. The governor was actually at one of their meetings in which the doctors promised never to go on strike again. It was on that basis that since the beginning of the year, we have been discussing everything with them. The first notice of the strike was a text message that took us aback. We were surprised. Three weeks before then, we had met, issues were raised and we were going to call them to a meeting. So when the text came, we called them immediately to say that was not our agreement. We even showed them all the papers to state the position of our agreement.


The doctors have been saying the publication does not reflect the true position…


Well let them bring evidence. I actually went back to confirm after the publication and it was confirmed, two sources confirmed. So let them bring evidence that it is not so. Figure for figure, we are paying CONMESS.

Has government not violated the right of the patient to health?

To the best of my knowledge, government has not violated the patient’s rights. The role of government is to provide platform for the patients to access to health but when it comes to a situation where that access to health is being impeded by those who should provide it, then government has to do something about it.

But the hospitals are still shut…

As of today, none of the hospitals is shut. I have taken stock, yes services are down, but work is not completely paralysed.

How open is government to dialogue?

Government has taken advantage of many opportunities. For instance, the governor publicly appealed to them during the 1,800 days celebration, then the House of Assembly waded in, but the doctors insulted everybody. Since all this began, we held meetings and got concerned parties to listen to our own side of the story, and then they went and listened to their own side too.

We had two meetings, Thursday, during which we gave our own side. A past president of the NMA came to a meeting with us, I gave him all the information including letters written by the NMA Lagos branch and he said he had warned them not to write the letter. They are not telling the full story, only whipping up sentiments to the public. Government has tried, but things would get to a stage where steps have to be taken to prevent further degeneration. This action bordered on what holds the fabric together which is discipline and regulations. We had to save the situation.

Is there possibility that any of the sacked doctors may be reinstated or asked to reapply?

That matter is covered by civil service regulations. We will cross the bridge when we get there. I do not want to preempt anything.

Is the dismissal of 788 doctors a premeditated act as being touted in some circles or is it a quick measure to salvage the system?

No reasonable government that has the interest of the people at heart would plan to sack 788 doctors just like that it. It was not something government was happy to do and was actually a hard but inevitable decision.

We had to make a choice between sacking and the negative effects of not sacking on the overall system. First, if a house officer is paid teaching allowance, then others in the health system and even beyond will come forward and demand to be paid as well. The cost on government would be too much. Second, the attitude of the doctors leaves much to be desired.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/this-government-is-tired-of-strikes-dr-jide-idris/

@naptu, you should watch the silverbird interview of Dr Wale Ahmed, he is a medical doctor and the commisioner for special duties. I'm not sure if the full interview video is available online. The interview is very revealing. On the day the interview was aired, the leader of the union of striking doctors was first interviewed, then the commisioner. After the interview, I almost lost all the respect I have towards doctors.

I got banned & my post was hidden while trying to post LASG Doctor's salary (claims and counter-claims, with proof). Hopefully I'll be unbanned soon and the post will be untagged.

Governor of Lagos state fires all doctors on strike 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 6:48AM

Lagos State Government Monday fired 788 medical doctors following their refusal to suspend their 13-day-old industrial action.

The government simultaneously employed 373 fresh ones "for immediate deployment in the public hospitals while recruitment continues".

The Head of Service (HoS) of Lagos State, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, said in a press statement that the dismissed doctors were axed by the "Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Board and the State's Health Service Commission (HSC) following an illegal strike embarked upon by the doctors since April 16, 2012".

He also said the two bodies attributed the sack to the refusal of the doctors to answer to queries issued to them to explain why they were absent from work without leave and without the due observance of the rules and regulations guiding strikes and industrial actions in the state's public service.

According to Ogunlewe, 316 of the doctors were working with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital while the remaining 472 were from other hospitals in the state.

Explaining the acts leading to the sack of the doctors, the HoS said: "Resulting from the contemptible act of the Medical Doctors LASUTH Board and HSC, the two bodies that appointed them in line with subsisting statutes, served those who were 'Absent without Leave' (AWOL) with queries", adding that while a handful of them responded, a majority of the doctors shunned the query.

He maintained that the strike came as a rude shock to the state government "since the leadership of the medical guild still met during the week preceding the illegal strike with top government officials in charge of health and establishment sectors".

On what made the strike illegal, the statement said, among other things, that the doctors only gave the state government 24 hours notice "as against the time-tested and statute-bound processes and procedures for declaration of industrial disputes".

THISDAY also gathered from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Raji, that the doctors' decision to stay away from work, despite government efforts to revamp the state's health sector, was regrettable.

He alleged that "the strike was politically motivated", adding that it was curious that "the doctors could abandon their jobs at such a critical moment like this, when the state government is investing heavily in the sector".

Raji insisted that the need to replace the doctors was aimed at saving the state's health sector from total paralysis.

The state government also alleged that the doctors consume 60 per cent of its total annual recurrent expenditure, disclosing further that an average house officers earns as much as N173,927.33 monthly, while a consultant takes home as much as N801, 985.09, excluding the teaching allowances.

Raji rejected the doctors' claim that the government had been adamant on its demands, explaining further that the government expends nothing less than N20 million on the training of each of its 339 resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Raji, who further said only Lagos State competes with the Federal Government on the payment of its doctors, added: "We match the Federal Government naira-for-naira. We don't short change our doctors."

In the recent medical/officers' salary regime published by the state government, doctors on level 12, step two, earn 207, 629.75; level 12, step three officers 213,784.00; level 12 step 4 N219,938.30 while level 12, step 15 officers earn N226,092.42.

In the same vein, doctors on level 15, step six earn 408,387.50; medical officers on level 15 step seven, earn N420,375.50, while those on level 15 step eight earn N432,363.50.

On the other hand, senior medical doctors at the consultant cadre of level 17 step 4 earn 703,390.50; level 17 step five officers earn 723,109.25; level 17 step six officers earn N742, 828.33, level 17, step seven officers earn N762,547.25, level 17, step eight doctors earn N782,266.17 while level 17 step nine officers earn N801, 985.09.

The doctors had, on April 24, embarked on an indefinite strike following the expiration of their initial three-day warning strike between April 11 and 13. Key on their demands' list is that the state government should effect a 100 per cent implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

In September 2010, the doctors had also embarked on a three-month strike to press home its demand for payment of 100 per cent CONMESS.

However, after three months of fruitless negotiations, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola approved 75 per cent salary increase, prompting the doctors to suspend the strike.

The ongoing action is aimed at compelling the state government to implement the entire CONMESS.

Meanwhile, the state Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Edamisan Temiye, after an emergency congress, said the association described the government's action as draconian, undemocratic and most uncalled for.

"If they do this to the doctors and they survive, they will do it to the other workers in the health team. They have turned everybody to their slaves because they think they are so big now that people should become their slaves."

He explained that last week, at its 52nd Annual General Conference and Delegates' Meeting, the decision-making body of the NMA had reviewed what was happening in Lagos State and were very disturbed and arrived at the decision to set up an elders' committee to meet with the state government.

This article was published a year ago

A Lagos doctor’s pay slip

Sam Eferaro 23/03/2011 00:51:00

I had to clean my glasses again and again to ensure my eyes were not playing dirty tricks on me as I examined the small piece of paper containing the details of the doctor’s pay for the month. After all I’d written, I needed to scrutinise every letter and figure very well in case I needed to drag someone to the police station for forgery. With my mouth agape, I discovered I was actually staring at a senior doctor’s January pay slip and it was indeed issued by the state government.

The figure was certainly not anywhere near the LASG Health Service Salary structure “Effective from January 2011)” that I got from Alausa two weeks ago. After some deductions, the doctor’s salary was just a little over N300,000. By the new salary structure, this senior doctor who also doubles as a consultant at the College of Medicine should be earning far above N700,000. That’s what the copy of the new salary structure I’m staring at as I write this tells me. That’s what has been circulated to virtually everyone in the state which has elicited our anger against the doctors. Someone must be lying. I stared at the doctor again and again. No, he couldn’t have forged the pay slip.

Suddenly it dawned on me that we may have been a bit too hard on the Lagos doctors. Perhaps we need to hear them out after all. Perhaps we need to simmer a bit, drop our bias as neglected patients and spare a thought for our doctors. This senior doctor on N300,000 plus is not just a starry-eyed fresh graduate from the medical college. Apart from his MBBS he has some strings of degrees in one or two specialisations in the medical field. He has been on the job for over ten to twelve years not only managing patients but also teaching, nurturing and mentoring young men and women in the medical profession.

Oh no, he deserves more than N300,000. And you know what, his counterpart in nearby LUTH or Orthopaedic hospital, Igbobi earns almost twice this salary! Of course I still believe that the doctor, for whatever reason, should not turn his back on his patient. Life is just too sacred to be sacrificed for any cause no matter how important. I still believe the current CONMESS salary structure should not have even degenerated to a strike if well managed. Above all, I believe strongly that the doctors’ plight is far beyond the CONMESS salary issue. If the truth must be told, the doctors are their own enemies! Like the Nigerians they are, some of them, especially their NMA leaders, have allowed greed, pursuit of self interests, high level corruption and an unparallel self-centredness to deny their colleagues and future doctors yet unborn the remuneration, quality of life and appropriate respect befitting of people we entrust our lives with.

I can still see the senior doctor’s angry expression, helplessness and frustration. He can’t build a house worthy of his status with his N300,000 plus. He can’t buy a brand new car with his salary and the state government would not give him one. No, this doctor’s monthly N300,000 will not send his children to schools in Ghana not to talk of the US or Britain where our politician’s children are being educated. That salary will not give him a deserved holiday which he must have if he will not just collapse one day as result of his hectic and almost inhuman schedule.

As I peruse this Lagos doctor’s pay slip, I just can’t help wondering if he would not have fared better if he had a more responsible and responsive professional body to fight his cause – certainly not the NMA which has become a toothless and spent association that can no longer cater for its own. Somehow, I believe this doctor would not have to feel the impact of the state government’s poor salary structure if he had a professional body that can also take care of his human needs, a professional body that will think of some welfare packages for him like a housing scheme, insurance, transportation amongst others. N300,000 for a very senior doctor? I think the Lagos State government owes us more explanation.

^^^^^^ This is 2012, not a year ago. Do you have a payslip from 2012 to counter what the government said in the salary structure below?

[b]The state government also alleged that the doctors consume 60 per cent of its total annual recurrent expenditure, disclosing further that an average house officers earns as much as N173,927.33 monthly, while a consultant takes home as much as N801, 985.09, excluding the teaching allowances.

Raji rejected the doctors' claim that the government had been adamant on its demands, explaining further that the government expends nothing less than N20 million on the training of each of its 339 resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Raji, who further said only Lagos State competes with the Federal Government on the payment of its doctors, added: "We match the Federal Government naira-for-naira. We don't short change our doctors."

In the recent medical/officers' salary regime published by the state government, doctors on level 12, step two, earn 207, 629.75; level 12, step three officers 213,784.00; level 12 step 4 N219,938.30 while level 12, step 15 officers earn N226,092.42.

In the same vein, doctors on level 15, step six earn 408,387.50; medical officers on level 15 step seven, earn N420,375.50, while those on level 15 step eight earn N432,363.50.

On the other hand, senior medical doctors at the consultant cadre of level 17 step 4 earn 703,390.50; level 17 step five officers earn 723,109.25; level 17 step six officers earn N742, 828.33, level 17, step seven officers earn N762,547.25, level 17, step eight doctors earn N782,266.17 while level 17 step nine officers earn N801, 985.09.[/b]

I'm not countering anything. I posted both stories so that people can hear from both sides of the argument and get a feel of the historical background.

My view is that the strike will collapse sooner or later and I blame the leadership of the NMA for that.

Although I'm happy that it'll put a check on the powers of the unions, but nobody gains from this strike. We all lose.

naptu2: I'm not countering anything. I posted both stories so that people can hear from both sides of the argument and get a feel of the historical background.

My view is that the strike will collapse sooner or later and I blame the leadership of the NMA for that.

Although I'm happy that it'll put a check on the powers of the unions, but nobody gains from this strike. We all lose.

What I'm saying is, that was a year ago and we know a lot has happened since. We know what the government claimed they are paying the doctors and it's been published, but what about the doctors showing us their last payslips to counter what the state is claiming?

The fact that they are refusing to show Lagosians the payslips says they are hiding something from Lagosians.

I agree. I was actually searching for a more recent payslip when I stumbled on that one. The doctors say the state government published fake salaries. However, they've not shown us proof of their claim. Anytime I ask, I get insults in return.