Striking Nigerian health workers accuse minister of bias
The latest statement issued by the health ministry has indicated that the position of the country’s health minister, Prof Isaac Adewole, is the same as that of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).
healthnews.africa reviewed the latest statements by the health ministry and MDCAN and several similarities were noticed.
Adewole said the Nigerian government has offered JOHESU members opportunity to adjust their salaries and wages,
“But what JOHESU is asking for is parity with medical doctors which is not practicable or acceptable to the Federal Government,” Adewole said.
According to him, a cursory look at the salary tables in the health sector before and after independence till date have always reflected relativity and the 2014 salary adjustment for medical doctors was to correct the anomaly of 2009 and restore relativity.
In its own response to the strike action embarked upon by JOHESU members, MDCAN slammed the action which it said is aimed at “arm-twisting the federal government to grant members of this union an undeserved and unjustifiable pay parity with medical doctors”.
“Though MDCAN does not oppose an upward review of wages of workers in the health, and indeed any other sector of the Nigerian economy, it is important that the government be reminded to strictly take into account and comply with the existing relativity in wages of professional groups in the sector,” MDCAN said in a statement gotten by healthnews.africa
Professor, Ngim E. Ngim, MDCAN President added: “MDCAN and indeed all medical and dental practitioners in the country will reject in its totality any action by the government that erodes this international best practice of relativity of wages in the health sector. This could lead to catastrophic consequences for health care delivery and medical education in the country.”
This is not new
A cross section of striking JOHESU members that spoke to healthnews.africa said this observation is not a surprise as the health ministry has consistently taken sides with the doctors over other Nigerian healthcare professionals.
They noted great bias in how other healthcare professionals are treated in comparison to doctors.
A review of posts by JOHESU members on social media revealed their observations of a trend in the healthcare space in Nigeria where the health and labor ministers, both doctors, are eager to meet the needs of members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), but are reluctant to adhere to their agreement with JOHESU.
“They are members of NMA and MDCAN. They are biased,” said Solomon Danmori.
JOHESU members also chided MDCAN for striving to interfere with, and suppress the clamors of other healthcare practitioners.
“What’s MDCAN’s business with JOHESU? Have they forgotten they’re both employed by this same FG? The only problem we have in the health sector is nothing but the Doctors. Leave JOHESU alone if you don’t want God to punish you all,” said Omilakin Ademola.
Afam Udeozo on the other hand noted that while MDCAN is claiming that doctors are offering healthcare services, doctors are discharging patients instead.
“Services to patients are given by the healthcare team. MDCAN members have already discharged all d patients due to JOHESU strike,” he said.
Solomon Danmori also decried the misplaced priority of the MDCAN and health ministry.
“If NMA, ARD and MDCAN that have been using this kind of promptness, energy and aggression against JOHESU use same to pursue improvement of our hospitals, they would have been the best. Misplaced priorities,” he said.