The ongoing nationwide industrial action by health workers under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), which commenced on September 21, has, once again, paralysed activities in some federal hospitals across the country. The strike coming on the heels of earlier one by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), does not augur well for the efficient running of the nation’s health sector.
Some of the affected hospitals are National Hospital, Abuja, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, National Orthopedic Hospital, Kano, and Federal Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and Onitsha.
In an apparent move to draw government’s attention to their demands, JOHESU had on August 14 issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government which expired on September 13. Perhaps, the reported inability of the government to nip the strike in the bud forced the health workers to embark on the indefinite strike to press home their demand for better conditions of service.
The health workers’ grouse, according to the National Chairman of JOHESU, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah, include the approval of adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS), improved welfare, adequate funding of the sector, provision of medical equipment and prompt payment of their salaries among others.
We deplore the frequent strikes in the country, especially in the healthcare delivery system and urge the government to always strive to avoid a situation that will make workers embark on strike. No doubt, the health workers’ strike epitomises the intractable crisis in the nation’s health sector.
The Federal Government must sit down with the leadership of the health workers and settle the current trade dispute amicably. It should settle the JOHESU matter the way it settled others before it. There is no doubt that the health workers demands are genuine and just.
Let the government have productive dialogue with the striking workers in the spirit of give and take and save the lives of patients in the affected hospitals. We say this because lost human lives are irreplaceable. Taking into due cognizance that we have had many industrial actions in recent times, especially in the health sector, we enjoin health workers to find other amicable and non-disruptive method of resolving trade disputes in the country.
The government must intensify effort to improve the working conditions of health workers in the country. It is by doing so that frequent trade disputes can be avoided. For this to work, therefore, our hospitals should be well equipped and adequately funded to compete with the best in the world.
This is perhaps the only way that government can curb brain drain in the sector as well as reduce the medical tourism of the political elite and wealthy Nigerians. The huge money spent on medical tourism alone, could be enough to fix the nation’s health sector. Since members of JOHESU can migrate to other lands with greener pastures, the government must do everything possible to improve our healthcare system in order to retain them.
The government’s continued lip service to this all important sector must end forthwith in the interest of the health of all Nigerians. Nigerians should not continue to die of avoidable illnesses. Government must remove Nigeria from the league of countries with high disease burdens in the African continent and the world.
Nigeria should not be made one of the worst places to be a mother in the world due to rising maternal morbidity and mortality. The government should stop playing with the health of millions of Nigerians and muster the political will to revamp the ailing sector. Let government and JOHESU officials find a meeting point in their ongoing negotiation and resolve the industrial dispute without further delay.