Two days to the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), urging the Federal Government to accede to its demands over welfare and others or face the shutdown of healthcare services nationwide, the President of NMA, Dr. Bala Audu has said the lack of expected response from the Federal Government to the demand of the association, could lead to the shutdown of healthcare services nationwide.
In an interview with Channels TV yesterday, Dr Audu criticised the circular that was issued unilaterally by the National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC), saying it should be withdrawn so as to pave the way for all stakeholders to come to the negotiating table and discuss. According to him, the Commission did not apply certain Collective Bargaining Agreements of 2001, 2009 and 2014 on the allowances because “these allowances are a product of a percentage of the basic salary.
However, this was not applied.” Speaking further, he said: “Our second demand is to ensure all the arrears that have accrued over the last 18 months are also settled immediately. That is also not far-fetched because President Bola Tinubu has approved the payment of those allowances. We wonder who along the line is refusing to implement.
Part of the demand is to set up a collective bargaining agreement process, which has been due for review for over the last 10 years. All these are processes that are very easy to comply with.” Explaining why the ultimatum became necessary, he said it has to do with efforts to retain the health workforce and doubling the carrying capacity for health institutions to produce more healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, dentists, nurses, to replace the dwindling population of healthcare workers as a result of the ‘japa’ syndrome.
According to him, the demand on the healthcare workforce is to such an extent that every day doctors on ground experience burnouts, which makes delivery of healthcare very difficult. “All we are asking for is a collective bargaining agreement that will address some of these critical issues, and we don’t think what we are asking for is too much.”
While Audu admitted that good measures were taken by the Federal Government, the NMA is still awaiting implementation, and this includes increasing the retirement age for critical healthcare workers who are involved in direct care of patients to 70 years of age. Among other reasons for the ultimatum, the president of NMA stated that the association was pushing for the retention of the healthy workforce to deliver quality and best care practices for Nigerians.
It is also advocating payment of the arrears on the increase in the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS), which has been approved by Mr. President, and the implementation started in January 2024. “For the last 18 months, we have been very patient across the medical profession, across all healthcare providers, and have been patient to ensure that the government delivers on its promises. “While this was going on, the consequential adjustment on salaries came, including the consequential adjustment on the consolidated medical salary structure,” he added.
