The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) says it will do all it can to push for amicable resolution of the impasse between the Federal Government and striking doctors.
This is contained in a six-point communiqué jointly signed by the President, and General Secretary of the association, Prof. Sani Garko and Dr Abdulkadir Rafindadi respectively, after an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The association said its determination to ensure amicable resolution of the impasse was informed by the Federal Government’s order to replace the striking doctors at the peak of a high level intervention and dialogue mediated by the Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.
“Unhappy with the order to replace striking resident doctors by the Federal Ministry of Health at the peak of a high level intervention and dialogue mediated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon.Yakubu Dogara, MDCAN (Mental and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria) is determined to do all within its powers to push for amicable resolution of the impasse.
“The MDCAN rejects the imposition of Ph.D on her members as a prerequisite for teaching medical students and career progression in the university.
“That the Yayale Ahmed Presidential Committee report on industrial harmony in the health sector in Nigeria be speedily implemented so as to resolve the much desired industrial peace in our health systems for the benefit of our patients.
“That the Consolidated Health Provisional Salary Structure (CONHESS) should be applicable only to staff with health related qualifications in federal and state health facilities in the country.
“This will go a long way in reducing personnel costs especially at this period of crippling economic downturn.’’
The NEC also said that the refusal of some Chief Medical Directors/ Medical Directors to pay allowances to medical doctors was unacceptable and condemnable.
It pointed out that medical directors have the responsibility to ensure industrial harmony in their various centres so that Nigerians would not unduly suffer from service disruptions.
The NEC also proposed a single tenure for CMDs/MDs in line with the universities for vice chancellors.
The communique explained that the meeting was called to address some pressing and urgent issues affecting its members and healthcare delivery in the country.
It flayed the continued disruption of services in the hospitals when Nigerians needed such services, saying that the current strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors was avoidable.
The communiqué recalled the attempt by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the National Universities Commission to harmonise the Ph.D and fellowship programmes of medical doctors.
It observed that while the fellowship was a professional training “build on apprenticeship and clinical skills acquisition in addition to academic component whereas Ph.D is purely academic’’.
The communiqué also decried attempt to discredit medical lecturers by falsely accusing them of receiving double salaries and writing petitions to anti-graft agencies to embarrass them.
According to the communiqué, the practice of paying medical lecturers salaries in the universities and honorarium for work done in teaching hospitals is enshrined in the regulations of civil service of Nigeria.
The communique blamed the leadership of the health institutions for the persistent strikes in the health sector as they refused to implement clear directives from the supervising ministry concerning medical doctors.
NEC noted that the frequent dissolution of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) board is responsible for the difficulty to effectively regulate medical practice in Nigeria.(NAN)
Leave a Reply