[TODAYS COMMENTARY] The Doctors Strike-Our Stand It has been exactly 12 days since medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) literally pulled off their stethoscopes and vacated their duty posts to embark on an indefinite strike action after embarking on a 3-day warning strike earlier on, in an apparent bid to alert stakeholders in the health sector of its grouse with the authorities and the need for their demands to be considered in order to avoid a fatal consequence which the prevailing strike has led to already. However, a splinter group, the Medical Consultants Association of Nigeria has distanced itself from the strike and warned its members not to join the strike by the umbrella body of medical practitioners. Efforts by the senate to settle the dispute and placate the union has produced only but little result with the doctors agreeing to specialists in their ranks entertaining only serious cases but a concession which has only been fulfilled in the breach since the commencement of the strike. Pleas from all section of the country to the doctors to reconsider their position and get back to work and allow for continuation of negotiations has come to naught as the doctors have sworn to continue with the strike until all their demands are met despite the inconveniences they agreed it could cause. On the contrary, they have asked the citizens to put the blames on the authorities for their habitual nature of not honouring agreements and making their word their bond. The NMA president, Dr. Lawrence Kayode Obembe speaking to Newsmen last week said contrary to beliefs that its members are insensitive to the plight of patients, it was the government that should be blamed for not keeping its word. The litany of demands which the doctors are seeking from the authorities include, the reservation of the office of Chief Medical Director (C.M.D) to only medical doctors, appointment of Surgeon General of the Federation, passage of the National Health Bill, and providing security for doctors to avoid being Unwarranted victims of Kidnapping. Others include, increase in duty, hazard and specialist allowance and a budget for residency training programme, re- integration of NMA members into the Payroll system. They also demanded that the title Consultant should not be given to other health professionals except doctors. A demand born out of the wrong and greedy impression that doctors are superior to other health workers in the health sector. We call on the health workers to call-off its strike and get back to work as the toll of the strike is already takings its toll on the country. It is rather unfortunate that pecuniary interests is chief in the reasons for the strike action regardless of the consequences on patients. An act which amounts to a terrible repudiation of the Hippocratic oath by which doctors swore to work under any condition upon induction as one writer lucidly captured it. Given the position of the Minister of health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu where he stated the position of the government to the effect, that almost all the issues in contention were either issues that has been satisfactorily resolved, or issues that could be treated merely through administrative mechanism, it behoves on the union to call off the strike and hold the authorities on their word this time. While the medical body has denied the assertion by the minister, their resolve to earn equal renumerations with politicians as is shown in their body-language is uncalled for and speaks volume of their erosion of the pristine ethical values of the medical profession held sacred since history. Having said that, it must also be stated that the government will be failing on its duty if it fails to improve the working conditions of health practitioners. Government must elevate it to a pedestal that is seen in other countries. The mood of the nation is one that do not allow for strike actions here and there at the moment. At a time when government is grappling with efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok Girls and an insecurity situation nearly bringing the country to a quicksand, a strike action for whatever reason by medical practitioners is the least the country wants to condone with. Justice at all times must be tempered with mercy and National interest must not be sacrificed on the altar of undue individual aggrandizement. The economic, social and health effects of this current strike by doctors is too many already. From Private clinics who have sought the window of the strike to cash in on stranded patients, to the sudden stoppage in medication for some patients already receiving treatment before the strike action, down to graduate Medical students whose induction exercise scheduled to hold at some point would not hold again at least until the strike is called off, to communities around the hospitals who eke out a living from sale of wares in and around the hospitals but who by this strike, will be forced to stay out of business are just few out of the sundry harmful effects of the strike. While the doctors may be justified in some of their demands, we implore them to be rational in the means to achieving them. Putting the lives of poor citizens in the line should at least not be a mechanism to arm twist the authorities into making one concession or the other. The life of the poor patient lying in hospitals in Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Enugu, Oyo, Awka etc, must not be used as a bargaining power. For now, Arewa Daily calls on the NMA to call off its strike and allow for negotiations to continue between the union and the authorities so that the nations health institutions would begin full operations again.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 08:25:09 +0000
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