The Nigerian Medical Association has threatened to shut down medical services across the country if the Federal Government does not comply with its requests as the 21-day deadline it gave it ends on July 23.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Sunday, its president, Prof. Bala Audu, affirmed this and said the association was ready to strike decisively if the government did not sufficiently address its concerns.
Prof. Audu emphasized the importance of the association’s requests for the survival of Nigeria’s healthcare system and the well-being of its medical workforce nationwide.
In response to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission’s circular on updated benefits for medical and dental officers in the federal public sector, which the doctors objected to for breaking previous agreements, the NMA issued an ultimatum on July 2.
To prevent industrial action in the health sector, the group gave the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to revoke the circular and fulfill its other requests.
“We have made our position clear. The ultimatum ends on July 23, and if the Federal Government does not address our demands, we may have no choice but to proceed with a strike,” he said.
According to him, the circular contains provisions that were not mutually agreed upon and which undermine the remuneration and welfare of medical professionals.
“We have rejected that circular outright. We expect that any new directive affecting our members should be the outcome of mutual consultation, not something imposed,” he stated.
