The National Industrial Court of Nigerian, NICN, has adjourned the case between the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, and Federal Ministry of Health to October 13 this year.

 

Issues filed by the litigant include granting of consultancy status to other healthcare professionals and approving the payment of specialist allowance to other health care professionals other than medical and dental practitioners; abolition of the post of Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) and a number of matters, including the review of the procedure and process of appointment of Chief Medical and Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals; the Abdullahi Bello Presidential Committee Report on Harmony in the health sector and the interpretation of the phrase “medically qualified” to the Yayale Ahmed Committee.

 

This is even as the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Health care Professional Associations have filed applications seeking to join the suit. Defendant in the case are the Federal Ministries of Health, Labour and the Attorney-General of the Federation; they have filed their memoranda of appearance.

 

The restraining order against the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and the AGF therefore continues, having been made to subsist until the determination of the motion on notice.

 

MDCAN had dragged the Federal Ministries of Health, Labour and Productivity, including the Attorney- General of the Federation to the industrial court over an agreement they signed with JOHESU and AHPA at the end of a meeting held on June 5.

 

The court, in its ruling on June 27, issued an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/ respondents, either by themselves or by their agents, servants, agencies, privies or by any group or organisation acting for them from implementing, executing, carrying out or giving effect to the decisions, resolution and agreements that were reached at a meeting that was held in Abuja.

 

The suit is adjourned to October 13.