The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim Pius, has said a delay in the submission of the report of a presidential committee on the health sector is responsible for the apparent delay and deadlock in the ongoing Seven week old doctors’ strike.

 

The Yayale Ahmed chaired presidential committee of experts on inter professional relations in the public health sector was set up to draw up a workable document to address perennial rivalry in the sector. But its work has been hampered by the on-going doctors’ strike, as negotiations with the doctors couldn’t continue on the orders of the Federal Government.

 

Sen. Anyim said, “We have insisted that we couldn’t reopen negotiations with them when this committee is still at work, and likely in the next few weeks you would conclude your assignment.”

 

Yayale Ahmed said, “The importance of our assignment cannot be over-emphasised, we have been given this task and the nation is patiently waiting like patients in hospitals.”        

 

Anyim also expressed concern that other professionals in the health sector are also threatening to embark on strike actions.

 

Doctors in Nigeria’s public hospitals have been on strike since the first of July and the meeting was set up to resolve the issues in Nigerian health sector but if what was said by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is to be considered seriously, then the strike may linger for a while pending when the report of the committee is ready in a couple of weeks.

 

BY UGOCHUKWU ONYEOCHA

Dailytimes