The seven-day warning strikes by the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) which commenced on Monday, has disrupted services in 83 federal hospitals and 64 medical and dental schools across universities in the country.
MDCAN declared a seven-day warning strike in a communique it issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last Thursday, over wat it described as government’s failure to meet it’s demands.
The national president of MDCAN, Prof Muhammad Muhammad told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that the strike had taken effect across the country with full compliance.
He said even though other doctors are on ground in the hospitals, the strike will have much impact because every patient that is seen in the hospital is seen on behalf of a particular consultant. “So those who own the patients are on strike,” he said.
Prof. Muhammad stated that “There are 42 fully accredited medical schools, 11 partially accredited medical schools, nine fully accredited dental schools, two partially accredited dental schools in the country.
“83 Harpters representing 83 teaching hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and specialists hospitals”
The communique signed by Prof. Muhammad and the secretary-general, Prof. Daiyabu Ibrahim, decried the intentional attempt and absurdity to benchmark the requirement of the Vice Chancellor position to the attainment of a PhD, without regard to the Medical and Dental Fellowships, describing it as unfair, unlawful and discriminatory to holders of the Medical and Dental Fellowship
qualification.
The association also condemned the failure of government to complete the process of harmonising the payment of
the emoluments of Clinical Medical Lecturers with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in order to correct the significant shortfalls in their emolument, entry level, and pension.
MDCAN has, therefore, resolved that the federal government should immediately relieve the chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University of his appointment as council chairman, for his insubordination and to enforce the ministry of education’s directive nullifying any appointments subsequent to their directives.
Some of it’s other demands include “Federal government to develop an all-Inclusive prototype of advertisement for office of vice chancellor. The advertisement for the office of vice chancellor as recently issued by Ahmadu Bello University Zaria may serve as prototype.
“Harmonisation of the retirement age of medical consultants to 70 years.
“Harmonisation of payment of emoluments of medical lecturers with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), in order to ensure universal applicability of CONMESS to all medical and dental officers.
“Payment of 2023 and 2024, Clinical Duty Allowance areas, and 2023 25 percent /35 percent CONMESS arrears.”
According to the communique, the MDCAN NEC will reconvene on Sunday 24th November 2024 at 8.00 pm to reassess the situation and progress made to chart the next course of action.
Meanwhile, the absence of the consultants led to skeletal services being rendered in teaching hospitals, including the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
Leadership checks revealed that there are over 100 consultants in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and patients who were on appointment with the consultants would have to wait till next week.
