The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has directed its members across the country to begin a nationwide warning strike from Wednesday, December 18.
After the union’s emergency delegates’ conference in Minna, the Niger State capital, the national president, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, told reporters that the industrial action became inevitable after the talks between the union and the Federal Government broke down.
“After the warning strike the union will have no choice but to go on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to meet our demand.
“For now, what we have issued as a test to the commitment of government is a warning strike. We hope the Federal Government would rise up to its responsibilities and use this opportunity to address the issues presented to it because if this fails, we may have no choice than to declare a total strike.
“We feel the Federal Government is either taking us for a ride or the strategy being employed by us is not appreciated. Handling our issues with levity is what has led us to declare this warning strike action,” Dr. Enabulele said.
He said that the five days warning strike would give allowance to the medical workers, whom he said were agitating for a total action because they had been pushed to their limit.
“NMA has sought to evolve a new strategy of engagement believing that government would rise up to the challenge to meet up with this new reality but unfortunately, as much as we try to see how we can evolve a new strategy of engagement, we have a governance system that is extremely slow to respond to issues.
End To Medical Tourism
“Nigerians need to rise up to their responsibility, demand answers to some of these issues that are confronting our governmental system. We cannot have a government that says they are building up yet they seem to be in slumber over issues that affects fortune, destiny and value of our country.
“We have a responsibility to our members as much as we also have a responsibility to our society. We cannot allow this to continue, we have a limit to issuance of ultimatum otherwise it would seem as if we do not understand the strategy of engagement”, Enabulele appealed to the public.
He appealed to members of the public to bear with the union during the period of the strike.
The association has bemoaned the abysmal six per cent health coverage of Nigerians and has called on the government to urgently invest more in the health of Nigerians through a Universal Health Fund.
It stressed the need for a government sponsored Hospital Development and Intervention Fund (HDIF) in the health industry to drive the development of modern and world class health infrastructure in Nigeria and put an end to medical tourism.