Posted on: Wed 06-09-2023

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) President Uche Rowland Ojinmah has cautioned fellow doctors against embarking on frivolous strikes.

He noted that to build a progressive health sector would require health professional exercising restraints instead of going on strike each time they have issues with the government.

Addressing reporters yesterday after their national executive council (NEC) meeting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Ojinmah said his leadership of the MNA was keen on building a progressive consensus for a better health sector.

The union leader thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the recent upward review of the consolidated salaries of medical structure and for the appointing medical professionals into the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“We thank President Bola Tinubu for the huge confidence in the medical profession by populating the Federal Executive Council with medical professionals. We are certain these our ambassadors at the FEC will excel.

“We congratulate our colleagues, especially the Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate, and his Minister of State for Health.

“We call on other health professionals to sheathe their sword because the NMA under my leadership is keen on building a progressive consensus for a better health sector…

“We thank the government of Nigeria for the recent upward review of our consolidated salaries medical structure. But we need to point out that the agreement that was implemented from June 1 was finalised on May 25, 2023, which preceded the fuel subsidy removal and attendant fuel subsidy escalation.

“NEC has directed her national officers to demand from the government a new demand for the upward review of our allowances. While waiting for the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment, which we call on the government to implement seamlessly, we would not want to start arguing about that anymore.

“NEC directs the NMA, Cross River State branch, to sustain the demand for the abduction of our colleague, Ekanem Philip-Ephraim, and we call on the Cross River State government to redouble effort towards securing the release of our colleague that has been in captivity for more than one month now.

“We plead with the abductors to have mercy on her grandmother. We pray to God to bring her back safely in one piece.”

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