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Medical
and health workers begin strike
temitope ojo
Correspondent, Lagos
Another strike
looms in the country’s health sector as medical and health workers have
given notice to embark on an indefinite strike, beginning from Monday.
Already, resident
doctors in public hospitals are on strike over four months unpaid salaries and
other emoluments.
Giving notice of
the strike, the National Auditor of the Medical and Health Workers Union of
Nigeria (MHWUN), Comrade Mudasiru Ayinde, told Saturday Independent that like the
resident doctors, the medical and
health workers were protesting unpaid salaries which the Federal Government had
earlier been given a 30-day ultimatum.
Ayinde, who is also
the president of MHWUN, LUTH branch, maintained that the strike was
irreversible except something positive was done before Monday.
His words:
“At the end of the meeting held on Wednesday, at the Federal Area
Council, it was decided that all teaching and federal medical centres
throughout the federation must embark on an indefinite strike beginning from
Monday.
“It is a
national directive, which must be carried out. LUTH, Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba
and NAFDAC must pack up. Any institution that fails to carry out the directive
would be sanctioned within the circle of Medical and Health Workers
Union”, he said.
He said the chief
medical director LUTH had been served with the notice as well as other health
institutions.
Ayinde said their
action was in accordance with the Federal Government’s directive of no
work if not paid for three months.
“Or how do
you explain the words of the president who said openly that anybody that works
for three months without pay and still continues to go to the place of work, is a thief.
“We are not
thieves and this we want to prove to the Federal Government. It has not been
easy. We were only working to keep Nigeria in peace,” he added.
Corroborating,
Comrade Philips Olu-Ogunfowokan, Secretary, Medical and Health Workers Union,
LUTH branch, said that it was unfortunate that the government seemed not to
bother about the plights of the workers, adding that “by 12pm on Monday,
there will be a press conference to announce the beginning of the strike.
Meanwhile,
activities at the LUTH have been
paralysed following the resident doctors’ strike.
Our correspondent,
who visited the LUTH to monitor the strike, observed that the volume of people
had reduced and very few patients were also seen in the wards.
When contacted,
LUTH Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ayo Olagunju, said that the strike had hampered
activities in the medical care system but denied that it had totally paralysed
the system.
His words:
“The workings in a hospital as large as this is like an arial connection.
Resident doctors form the core work force among the doctors, so when removed,
affects the system.
However, he continues, “we are deploying all available
resources to look after all the patients.”
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