As striking Nigerian health workers refuses to back down, government attempts a familiar largely unsuccessful approach
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has directed its members at state and local government levels to join the ongoing strike action that has already paralyzed activities at federal government-owned hospitals. This is against the promise made by the health minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, that the ongoing strike action would soon be called off.
Announcing the latest development, Rasaq Adio Falade, Chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the Medical and Health Worker’s Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) revealed the decision was reached at the end of a meeting of all State Chairmen and Secretaries with the National Officers of the union.
“At the meeting, the directive to all members of the coalition of unions under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) across the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Abuja to join the strike action by the midnight of Wednesday the 9th of May, 2018 was renewed and agreed to by all,” Falade said.
According to him, the union leaders resolved that “unless this battle is fought and won, the welfare and future career prospects of all health workers other than those of doctors shall be in serious jeopardy.”
With this directive, all members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) are expected to commence the Strike Action by staying off work by the morning of Thursday the 10th May, 2018.
Health ministry wants to enforce no work, no pay rule
While the JOHESU leadership is mobilising state and local government health workers for the strike, the Nigerian health ministry is also attempting to take actions targeting the striking health workers.
Today, a memo issued by the health ministry leaked on social media and has been extensively shared by the striking health workers.
In the circular signed by Dr. OJ Amemu, health ministry’s head of hospital service department, the federal government directed chief medical directors and other heads of federal government-owned hospitals to compile and forward the names of staff of their respective institution that have been working since the commencement of the JOHESU strike action.
“Evidence of bias”
A cross section of JOHESU members that saw the circular described it as an evidence to support the unions’ claims that the health minister has a bias against other healthcare professionals.
“The judiciary is called to display independence. No work no pay is what they intend to implement. But this will be a classical display of double standard. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) members have been embarking on strike. What has been the reaction of the federal ministry of health? JOHESU members cannot be intimidated,” a JOHESU members said on Facebook.
Casualty numbers continue to rise
JOHESU has also debunked reports that its members disconnected gadgets in the Special Care Baby Unit of the Federal Medical Center Owerri, causing the death of 20 babies in intensive care.
The FMC Owerri chapter union in a statement issued on Monday, signed by its Chairman, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, Clifford Ezeugwu, Iheanyi Okoronta and Solomon Nwafuru, respectively, described the reports as malicious, adding that the capacity of the SCBU of the hospital was not up to 20.
The union stated that its members could not have resulted into picketing following the union’s nationwide strike.
The statement partly read, “If not, one would have expected the writers to contact the Union officers on the veracity of the story before going to press.
“The PRO and Medical Director’s Secretary that were alleged to be on danger list in an undisclosed hospital are quite hale and hearty. Even the PRO was at the hospital on Thursday April 26, 2018. We therefore challenged the writers to name the hospital where they are admitted.
“For the umpteenth time, we want to state that medical doctors are not on strike. Besides, they are not members of any of our unions, hence we do not interfere with their duties.
“It is only our members, we are preserving to keep away from the hospital. Of course, we do not expect that any medical doctor to meddle in our affairs, because we do not interfere anytime they embark on strike for the welfare of their members”.
“The publication on death of 20 babies at FMC Owerri was intended to discredit the union and its members.”