•Demand unrealistic, says Kastina CMD
Fred Ezeh, Abuja; Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The leadership of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), has summoned an emergency consultative meeting of all state and zonal leaders, today, to deliberate on the next step; with regards to the ongoing nationwide strike.
The emergency meeting was in response to an order of interim injunction by the National Industrial Court (NIC),which compelled JOHESU to immediately resume duties.
A non governmental organization, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International, dragged JOHESU to the NIC and obtained interim court injunction to stop the strike.
JOHESU President, Biobebelemoye Josiah, confirmed to newsmen in Abuja, at the weekend, that they received the court communication at about 5:39pm, on Friday, hence the emergency stakeholders meeting on the matter.
He said that the decision to either end the strike in obedience to the court or otherwise will be taken at the meeting.
But, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, Dr. Bello Muhammmad Suleiman, described JOHESU’s demand as unrealistic.
Besides, he said the union’s strike has had little or no negative impact on normal health care services in the facility.
“JOHESU’s demand is unrealistic. There is nowhere in the world that a doctor’s salary is at par with that of cleaners, nurses and other workers providing services in hospitals.”
The CMD who conducted reporters around the wards and other facilities at the hospital at the weekend noted that doctors there were able to to ensure that patients received due attention despite the JOHESU strike.
“It may not be 100 per cent but the succour to patients is enormous…”
and we have been able to save hundreds of lives here.”
Suleiman commended his colleagues and urged them to “keep the flag flying” even as he admonished members of the JOHESU to be “level-headed and consider every profession in the healthcare industry as a social work in self-less service to humanity.”
In his contribution, the Katsina State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman Usman, said that, “you have gone round, you have seen the sacrifices doctors have been dishing out so that our patients can be well again.
“This is what is replicated in every Federal Medical Centre in Nigeria and I believe this is the way to go.”