The Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien came hard on the striking doctors over their demands of headship and consultant titles of government hospitals.

Prof. Edozien, a professor of medicine, said the strike has claimed lives across the country, adding however, that while the doctors have the right to embark on strike, they should have put in place skeletal services to save lives.

Prof. Edozien, said while celebrat­ing his 89th birthday in Asaba that the title of consultant is not restricted to medical doctors, insisting that it cuts across, depending on what profession one belongs.

 

“Doctors have the right to restrict or withdraw their services if they feel dissatisfied with their condition of service. Even if they chose to go on strike because their job involves saving of lives, they should have put in place skeletal services for patients. It is inhuman to go on strike and deny patients health services.

 

“It is the practice in most developed countries that the head of medical ser­vices should be a medical doctor. Many people are involved in health services in a hospital and the medical doctor is the head. “But a medical doctor may not necessarily be the head of a hospital. In some countries, the Minister of Health is a medical doctor while in most others he is not. When it comes to delivery of health services, the Surgeon-General who is a doctor, is the head,” he said.

 

According to him, the head of government hospital in Britain, “for instance, is the House Governor, who may not necessarily be a medical doc­tor, but provision of medical services is headed by a medical doctor. Consultancy is not restricted to only medical doctors, it cuts across, depending on what profession you belong.”

 

The NMA had on Tuesday, July 1, embarked on an indefinite strike. Its president, Dr Obembe, who made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja, said the decision followed the expiration of a two-week ultima­tum it gave the Federal Government to meet its 24-point demand. Obembe said the association opted for a “total and indefinite strike” at an emergency delegates meeting held on June 28 after negotiations with the Federal Govern­ment failed to yield relevant results.

 

“The NMA is taking this painful route because our silence and gentle approach to these contending issues have been taken for granted,” he said. “We have to take this action in order to save the health care delivery system from anarchy that is palpably imminent.”

 

He appealed for understanding and called on Nigerians to prevail on the government to meet the demands. The NMA president read out an open letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in which the association listed the 24 issues it wanted the government to address.