The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has reviewed the ongoing nationwide strike by health workers which has paralysed healthcare delivery in public health institutions across the country and concluded that the Federal Government has been showing “lukewarm attitude”’ and “extremely slow” in responding to the demands of the striking workers.

 

Health workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on the midnight of November 12 had proceeded on an indefinite strike over a 12-point demand categorised into immediate and medium term needs.

 

A statement signed by the national president of PSN, Olumide Akintayo, described as “unpardonable,” the failure of the Federal Government to meet at least one of the 12 cardinal demands of JOHESU.

 

The statement reads: “Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria note with concern the apparent lukewarm attitude of government which has manifested in its extremely slow response time.

 

“It is unpardonable that the Federal Government has not been able to meet even one of the 12 cardinal demands of JOHESU which is subdivided into immediate and medium term needs in actualising a plan of action.”

 

The body charged JOHESU to seek the solidarity of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in compelling government to meet the demands of striking health workers and put an end to the suffering of the masses.

 

It continued: “The Pharmaceutical Society of strongly urges JOHESU to brief the organised labour on events of the last few days with a view to encouraging the NLC and TUC to join forces with health workers to compel government at all levels to see an urgent need to meet conditions of striking health workers as this will put an end to the woes and suffering unleashed on innocent masses because of obvious government’s insensitivity and negligence to the welfare of health workers.”

 

PSN urged government to show ‘seriousness’ by releasing appropriate circulars to cover six out of the 12-point demands as the basic minimum in the negotiation process to bring stakeholders in JOHESU back to the negotiation table in the interest of the public.

 

 

The priority areas as enunciated by the PSN demand include specific steps to be taken by the Head of Service of the Federation to ensure issuance of an enabling circular authorizing consultancy cadre for health professionals; payment of arrears of specialist allowances to qualified hospital-based health professionals with effect from January1, 2010 and immediate and full payment of arrears of CONHESS 10 which remains outstanding since 2010.

 

The group said: “Specific steps are to be taken by the Head of Service of the Federation to ensure the expedited issuance of an enabling circular authorizing consultancy cadre for health professionals that have adhered to due process, to be vested with consultancy status as a prelude to inculcating this cadre into the schemes of service of these health professionals. 

 

This must be worked out with the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the spirit of the circular on consultancy and specialist allowances Ref. SMH.491/S.2/VOL II.221 of March 29, 1976, which authorizes consultancy status for all health professionals, and the condition precedent of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) that provides for a nod of the Federal Ministry of Health for the appointment of consultants.”

 

“We seize this opportunity to remind government, that the Federal Ministry of Health cannot continue to be seen as a partial arbiter that does not disguise its bias towards the preferences of only one profession in a multi-disciplinary sector. This clamour becomes even more valid against the background that Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) caters for the interest of over 95 per cent of the workforce in healthcare,” they added.

 

PSN further stressed: “Payment of arrears of Specialist allowances to qualified hospital- based health professionals with effect from January 1, 2010, should be paid without any delay, whatsoever.

 

Others are the “release of circulars on residency programmes for all health professionals in Nigeria, adjustment of salary since January 2014 and immediate payment of at least two months arrears, while the balance is accommodated with proven evidence in the 2015 budget and on extension of retirement age from 60 to 65 years to be back-dated to February this year, when the issue was presented to the National Council on Establishment.”

 

“The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) strongly demands that the Federal Ministry of Health must now come up with a circular on residency programmes for all health professionals in Nigeria. Immediate and full payment of arrears of the skipping of CONHESS 10 which remains outstanding since the year 2010.

 

“Immediate and unconditional release of the circular on adjustment of salary since January 2014 and immediate payment of at least two months arrears, while the balance is accommodated with proven evidence in the 2015 budget,” the release added.

 

PSN, while accusing the Federal Ministry of Health of bias in favour of doctors which it noted have not been able to sustain services in the face of the on-going strike, charged the ministry to caution the management of some Federal health institutions which it alleged are enlisting ‘blackmail’ and other acts of ‘intimidation,’ including threats of privatisation of pharmacy and diagnostic facilities, saying such would only worsen the situation.

 

“Government needs to conduct studies on the outcome of privatisation exercises in pharmacy facilities in the past at University College Hospital, Ibadan, and some Lagos State government pharmacy facilities like the General Hospital, Gbagada, where private profiteers, after utilising government goodwill owe pharmaceutical companies significant tens of millions in naira,” the society stated.