The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Prosper Igboeli has given reasons why it shelved its planned strike from today to October 1, 2009.
The doctors in a statement issued yesterday at the end of the NEC said they would undoubtedly go on strike by October 1 if the agreement was not ratified by the end of September as promised.
According to the statement signed by the NMA National President, Dr. Igboeli; and the National Secretary, Dr. Kenneth Jonathan Okoro: the Association said, “After due consideration of appeals from the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Labour, the Committee on Health in the Senate and House of Representatives as well as well meaning Nigerians, and taking particular cognizance of the fact that ordinary Nigerians who did not contribute to the ruin in our health system will be most affected by the horrible consequences of a withdrawal of services by doctors in Nigeria, NEC resolved to give the government the 'last chance' to avert this action by fulfilling the pledge by the Minister of Health, re-affirmed by the Vice President to resolve the dispute with the NMA by circularizing and implementing a Medical Salary Structure (MSS) on or before September 30, 2009. This is without prejudice to a Health Salary Structure for other health professionals, which was actually introduced alongside MSS in 1991 and was implemented up till 1998.
"This is a demonstration of the maturity, goodwill and patriotism of NMA and Nigerian doctors as well as the fact that it is government's insensitivity that ultimately leads to reluctant withdrawal of services by doctors.
"NEC also resolved that if by October 1, 2009, the MSS is not restored for medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria, all doctors will embark on indefinite withdrawal of services without further notice."
The doctors implored all Nigerians to urge the Federal Government to fulfill her promise to resolve the dispute within the time frame it has requested to avoid the ugly consequences of withdrawal of services by doctors.
The planned strike which had been on the cards since May when the NMA held its Yearly General Meeting in Abeokuta was supposed to be in reaction to the non-implementation of the MSS, which the doctors had been asking for since 1998.