From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said equal salary and remuneration for doctors and other healthcare workers was not feasible.

It advised the Federal Government against falling for the blackmail being championed by healthcare workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) for equal salary package with medical doctors.

NMA spokesman, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja,  said such moves would be disastrous, and a clear violations of previous agreements with medical doctors under the umbrella of NMA.

“There is  no basis for JOHESU to ask for the same salary package as for medical doctors as this is not the standard practice worldwide,” he said.

He said the NMA was never opposed to salary increase, adjustment or variation for JOHESU members, as long as such action and identical values are applied to CONMESS to sustain the agreement with NMA.

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Uwah asked JOHESU members to desist from threatening and harassing officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, particularly the Director of Hospital Services, and advised them to follow the lay down rules in pursuit of whatever package they want.

“JOHESU is free to negotiate for improvement in welfare package, but doctors are not afraid or bothered as long as the facts and international standard are presented and applied.

“If anyone is to be unhappy, it should be the physicians who are being shortchanged by the deliberate refusal of the Federal Government to apply internationally accepted relativity in the remuneration of health workers in Nigeria.

“Besides, medical doctors in administrative positions have worked hard to create a healthy balance in welfarism between physicians and allied health professionals in the health sector.  But JOHESU have bent backwards by recommending relativity in emoluments below what is obtainable for physicians internationally to the disenchantment of members of NMA.”

He, therefore, accused JOHESU members of being known for spreading misinformation and disinformation, hence it was no surprise for them that they attempted to emotionally blackmail the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, on welfare related issues affecting its members.