Nigeria: NUAHP Issues 13-Day
Ultimatum
19 July 2013 , By Abdul-Hameed
Olawale, Source: Daily Trust
Osogbo
The leadership of Nigerian Union of
Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)
has issued a 13-day ultimatum for the
federal government to implement 27
recommendations in the report of the
Abdullahi Bello's Presidential
Committee or plunge the nation's
health sector into crisis.
NUAHP comprises pharmacists,
medical laboratory technologists,
physiotherapists and other
professionals allied to medicine
working in teaching hospitals across
the country. During a press
conference addressed by the union, in
Osogbo on Thursday, the National
President, Comrade Felix Faniran,
demanded the immediate removal of
Minister of Health, Professor
Onyebuchi Chukwu because of his
alleged bias in the crisis.
The decision of the union to down
tools so as to press home their
demands, Faniran said is as a result of
action of the officials of the Ministry of
Health to continue with the dichotomy
that has placed medical doctors above
other professionals in the health
sector and accused the minister of
health of conniving with doctors to
suppress the agitation of other
professionals for equality in condition
of service.
Faniran listed the demands of the
union which include; dissolution of
recently inaugurated boards of
management of teaching hospitals
because of the non compliance with
provisions of laws. He also called for
the immediate stop of the imposition
of university lecturers on teaching
hospitals as Chief Medical Directors.
Faniran decried what he called "the
negative influence of the Nigerian
Medical Association in the health
sector," saying the development is
one major reason for endless crisis in
the health sector in the country.
He accused the doctors of
monopolizing leadership positions in
teaching hospitals and deliberately
creating hindrances for other
medically qualified personnel to rise
to the position of CMD.
"For instance members of our union,
who were qualified for promotion to
the post of director in UCH who had
been duly invited and interviewed
since March 18, 2012 are still awaiting
the result of the interview.
Faniran lamented that Dr. K Adedapo,
a medical practitioner who is fully
employed by the University of Ibadan
as a lecturer was offered an
appointment as honourary consultant
by UCH and was also appointed
Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory
committee and was later promoted to
the position of director of medical
laboratory scientist without being a
laboratory scientist.
He frowned that Adedapo neither
applied for this post nor was he
interviewed for it whereas, the deputy
directors of Nursing, Medical
Laboratory Scientist and Social Work
who are health care professionals and
are qualified for promotion to the
post of director and were duly invited
and interviewed over a year now were
not considered.
"We demand the release of that result
and removal of Dr Adedapo as
director because his appointment is
illegal. We also demand scrapping
the post of deputy chairman medical
advisory committee."
The NUAHP national president also
accused the committee of Chief
Medical Directors of Teaching
Hospitals of collaborating with the
leadership of Ministry of Health and
NMA to suppress other professionals
in teaching hospitals with intent to
ensure that other professionals who
are not doctors continually play
second fiddle to doctors.
Faniran said the position of headship
in health sector is managerial and not
about curing ailment and that other
professionals in health sector are also
qualified to hold managerial positions.

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are pharmacists allied health professionals? it think they do not know how important they are in health sectors. pharmacists need to work with doctors not joing rogues in NUAHP.