By Emmanuel Antswen
Makurdi – The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Benue chapter, has issued a seven-day warning strike beginning from midnight of Oct. 3, to protest government failure to pay their outstanding salary arrears.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by association’s Chairman and Secretary, Drs Obekpa Obekpa and Nwaeze Chukwuemeka, respectively.
The statement, issued on Tuesday in Makurdi, indicated that the strike would exclude private hospitals.
NAN reports that the organised labour had on Tuesday embarked on indefinite strike over the same non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities in the state.
The union leaders said the commencement of the warning strike became necessary following the breakdown of negotiations with the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) after the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum.
The association, therefore, directed all government health institutions in the state to comply with the warning strike, excluding private hospitals and faith-based hospitals in the first stage of the strike.
“NMA Benue branch hereby directs all medical and dental practitioners working with the FMC, Makurdi, Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH).
“Hospital Management Board (HMB), Benue Ministry of Health (BSMOH) and College of Health Sciences of the Benue State University (CHS-BSU) to proceed on strike as directed by the congress,” the statement read in part.
The congress further commended its members for their patience, despite the protracted unfavourable working conditions and serial breach of collective agreements by the Benue Government and management of FMC, Makurdi.
NAN recalls that, NMA in its earlier ultimatum, decried the acute shortage of doctors in Benue hospitals, and said that the state had less than 50 medical doctors in its service.
NAN reports that the bond, signed by the state government in 2009, compels all graduating medical doctors of Benue origin to work for the state government upon graduation.
The communique also accused government of “serially failing to honour agreements after collective bargains”, and declared that the doctors were running out of patience.
The association further alleged that health institutions were not properly funded, and lamented that basic medical consumables were lacking in most hospitals.
It called for more refresher courses for doctors to boost service delivery.
The Benue government and management of FMC Makurdi are yet to react to the ultimatum. (NAN)
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