Health

Doctors Explain Why They Launched Nationwide Strike: Key Demands and Government’s Failure to Act

Published by Tope Fakinlede on November 20th, 2024.

Doctors Explain Why They Launched Nationwide Strike: Key Demands and Government’s Failure to Act

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) announced on Wednesday that it had gone on a nationwide strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to address its longstanding demands.

Dr. Samuel Emdin, Chairman of MDCAN at the Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri, shared this information with the press, reading from a statement signed by MDCAN’s National President, Mohammad Aminu Mohammad, and National Secretary, Prof. Daiyabu Alhaji Ibrahim.

Dr. Emdin explained that the strike followed the decision of the MDCAN National Executive Council (NEC) after an extraordinary meeting. The association expressed concerns over the Federal Government’s disregard for due process, particularly regarding the actions of the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The issue arose from what MDCAN described as the Council Chairman’s disregard for the proper procedure in the appointment of the institution’s Vice Chancellor.

MDCAN’s demands include the immediate removal of the Governing Council Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe University for insubordination, as well as the enforcement of the Ministry of Education’s directive, which nullifies any appointments made after its instructions. The association also called for the development of an inclusive advertisement model for the office of the Vice Chancellor, with the recent advertisement from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria being proposed as a potential prototype.

In addition to this, MDCAN is pushing for the harmonization of the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years, and the equalization of emoluments for medical lecturers under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). The group is also demanding the payment of outstanding arrears for clinical duty allowances for 2023 and 2024, as well as the 2023 25% / 35% CONMESS arrears.

Dr. Emdin concluded by stating that the MDCAN National Executive Council would reconvene on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 8:00 PM to review the progress made and decide on the

next steps.