Chioma Obinna
27 February 2007
Lagos — DARK clouds gathered over the nation's fragile healthcare system yesterday as medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) embarked on a nationwide seven-day work -to- rule action.
The strike action is to protest irregularities in the new Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS) for all civil servants which they are claiming has slashed down their pay instead of increasing it.
The action which came on the heels of the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum went into full swing as scheduled in all Federal government-owned health establishments, but indicators emerging from certain quarters revealed that contingency measures are in place to cushion effects of the strike.
When Vanguard visited the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, yesterday afternoon, some of the aggrieved doctors who attended to patients earlier in the day, downed tools as soon as it was 4 P.M. when the strike fully commenced.
It was however gathered that the hospital management had contingency measures in place to maintain services while the strike lasted. Strong signals indicated that the hospital may review the admission of patients for the time being.
Assurance was given that patients already on admission in the wards will continue to receive full care.
In a chat, Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Babajide Grillo described the strike as a national issue that had nothing to do with the hospital. In his view, a team of senior consultants had been mobilised to take charge in order to avoid complete collapse of services.
It was gathered that the national body of the NMA had earlier given the 21 -day ultimatum which began February 12 demanding that the Federal government to immediately withdraw the new salary structure and replace it with the former.
The Social Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of NMA, Dr. Olusola Olowoselu who spoke to Vanguard at the Association's secretariat, confirmed that the work to rule action commenced yesterday and that the Association would made good its threat if government fails to meet their demands at the expiration of the 7 day action which is expected to expire by 4th of March.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), LUTH, Dr. Henry Okpara said their members decided to embark on the strike after evaluating the new salary structure which he claimed had separated their call duty allowance from their basic salary.
His words: "Few months ago we were informed that the salary will be increased by 15 percent and we were of high hope that it will also affect us but when the circular came out, we discovered that instead of our salary appreciating, we were actually downscaled, this is the main reason that actually informed this action.
"Our members are disturbed, it is not easy for us to leave our patients. We have a salary structure they have been using to pay us, we are not quarreling with that but now after the committee reviewed the salary and came out with CONTISS the salary structure instead of our salary appreciating it was slashed".
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