Efforts to End Doctors’ Strike Fail as Health Minister Expresses Disappointment

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Wednesday, July 9th, 2014

As the industrial action embarked upon by the nation’s doctors in the public hospitals lingers over week, the Health Minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has expressed disappointment over the refusal of the physicians to down tools and resume work.

The Minister hinged his position on series of failed efforts and initiatives taken so far by the federal government and other stakeholders, to ensure the doctors go back to works.

African Examiner gathered that a delegates meeting of doctors under the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) held between Monday and early yesterday, with Governor Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Emmanuel Uduaghan, two federal legislators, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and Hon Nididi Elumelu as well as the health Minister in attendance to chart the way forward, but the meeting failed to reach the desirable truce.

Professor Chukwu was also speaking against the background of setting up of a Presidential Technical Committee presided over by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, contending that it was expected that the doctors call off the strike in the face of these efforts from different segments of the government.

In a related development, the Senate on Tuesday appealed to doctors to call off the strike in the interest of the nation and to avert further loss of lives of helpless Nigerians.

Our Correspondent gathered that the appeal was made at the legislators’ plenary session and after being briefed by its representative, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who is also the Senate health committee Chairman on efforts made so far and outcome.

The session which was presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, concluded persistent industrial action by the doctors would only result to exposing more lives to danger and high death rate across the country.

Meanwhile, NMA has earlier accused the Federal government of playing politics with the sensitive issue, vowing that its members would continue the action until its 24 points demand were met. The strike began nationwide last Tuesday and has since brought activities to zero in the government owned hospitals in the country.