NMA/MDCAN AND CALCULATED SABOTAGE. 

Since July 1st 2014,NMA AND MDCAN have denied patients the right to treatment even when the National Industrial Court had ruled that all parties involved should maintain status quo  ante. 

 

Dr Obembe the leader of NMA, who also happens to be a member of MDCAN has continued to defy Court orders under the guise that it is MDCAN that went to Court. One is forced to ask, “Is Dr Obembe not a member of MDCAN”? Again, does NMA have the moral justification to call for strike when she is not a Trade Union? Can NMA go on strike on an issue that is already before a Court of competent jurisdiction? How does NMA think that the Government will be negotiating with her on an issue before the Court? MDCAN in a calculated ploy to deceive the Nigerian populace came on air to declare that they are not on strike and that they are not joining NMA in the strike action. 

 

The truth of the matter is that MDCAN is on strike they are not on ground, and they are not working. MDCAN and her fellow consultants, who have so designated themselves as the owner of the patients, have abandoned the patient they say they own. On the so called minimal achievable demand, NMA should be told in clear terms that they are not achievable. In the immortal words of the erudite Justice Niki Tobi, JCA ( as he then was) “when an issue is before a Court of competent jurisdiction, even though it takes time, the parties must wait ,they must not jump the gun, they cannot go for self help” What  NMA is doing now is self help and transfer of aggression on  the innocent patients they have acclaimed to own. The issues raised by NMA/MDCAN are before a court, so negotiations and decisions cannot be taking on such matters.

              

NMA/MDCAN strike is a strike of Prejudice and Ego trip, and Government should be firm to stop this hydra-headed problem. The Members of the National Assembly and the Government should not cave in to the blackmail by NMA/MDCAN. They must be firm to make NMA/MDCAN see that their actions are against the state. This is the only way to make NMA/MDCAN amenable to the laws of the land and eschew impunity. The Government should know that Nigerians and indeed the world is watching!  JOHESU members account over 95% of the Healthcare work force, so the Government must be careful not to be seen to show favoritism. But must stand on the pedestal of equity and justice to call a spade a spade. 

 

The agitation by NMA/MDCAN that only they should be Directors, Hospital Chief Executives, and Consultants should be jettisoned in a jiffy. This is because such demands are not supported by any statute in Nigeria. If one is to use the principle of balance of convenience, how does appointing other healthcare experts as Directors, Consultants in their specialized disciplines, affect members of NMA/MDCAN? Even when the different approved scheme of service, for all these professionals, allows them to reach the zenith of their career and recognizes such appointments. How does it affect NMA/MDCAN?. 

 

NMA/MDCAN should know that the other Healthcare Workers are not a conquered people and that the hospital is not their capitalist empire. The hospital is a government parastatals set by law and must operate within the confines of the law setting it up.NMA/MDCAN should throw away the toga of medical capitalism and imperialism by embracing medical humanism. A Physician is expected to be compassionate, and service oriented devoid of prejudice.  

 

NMA/MDCAN should go and study the preamble to the declaration of Independence of the United States of America, composed in 1776 which reads thus, “We hold these truth to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” So do all medical personnel in the health sector who is not an allopathic physician do affirm.  NMA/MDCAN should know that for a nation to excel, it must be build on equality of all men,  rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.NMA/MDCAN are not the employers of the Nigerian Health Workers, so she cannot decide what Nigerian Health Workers get. The issue of relativity is unfounded and has no basis on any Nigerian Statute book even indeed world over. No professional’s wage bill is determined by the wage bill of another, but by Governments’ Terms of Appointment into the Service.

         

On the floor of the Nigerian National Assembly, when, the incumbent Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu ,was being screened to become a Minister, he was asked, “how would  he maintain peace in the health sector that has been so laden with interprofessional disharmony?”. The Minister answered that he would do all it takes to bring harmony into the sector. Again, he was also asked, “what are his views that only one professional group is the one virtually in control in the health sector and that other healthcare professionals are not so involved in leadership of the System?”. The Min. of Health again answered; that “we will get there that it is a gradual process that things are changing.” 

 

To the Most HIGH be the glory that the Hon Minister told  the world ,that his action of stopping the consultancy status of other health workers, was as a result of the complain made by NMA. It is on the same issue, that the National Industrial Court has said that, that action was in error, a violation of workers right to collective bargain. Now that the Hon. Min. of Health has started seeing that NMA/MDCANS’ actions, are in bad faith, he must be firm to right the structural injustices in the Health Sector. So that he would have lived up to his words, “that he would do everything in his power to bring harmony in the health sector.” 

 

The crisis in the health sector has gotten to where it is today, because of the over bearing attitude of some allopathic physicians, who have forgotten that medicine is the art, act and science of healing, whose scope is beyond allopathic medicine. It is highly unfortunate that NMA/MDCAN leadership personified in the person of Dr Obembe has suddenly forgotten that the word medical is an adjective which means related to the art, act and science of healing. A situation, where allopathic physicians in a false mindset sees only themselves as being medical and other healthcare experts as non medical breeds/creates a wrong image. The future allopathic physicians must be nursed and nurtured to have a mind set of medical humanism to give a good medical image that does not thrive on rancor, falsehood and a doctored ideology. The word medical is not a synonym for a doctor, for if it were, it would not be seen placed in front of the word doctor as in the term “medical doctor” for  that will be tautology. Every healthcare professional involved with the act, art and science related to healing are all medical personnel. So the word medical is not an exclusive term to designate allopathic physicians but all that is involved with healing and healthcare services.

   

Conclusion

Now that it is so glaring that NMA/MDCAN strike is sabotage against the state, because they are causing untold hardship to the citizens of Nigeria. This as a result of their ego driven demands. And have failed to obey Government orders, because most hospital Chief Executives being members of MDCAN are in sympathy with them. They have failed to call   NMA/MDCAN to order to suspend the strike, even when there is a court order. As a result of the death of Nigerians, based on this sabotage, the Federal Government should invoke the powers conferred on her in section 18(1) and 18(2) of University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstruction of Boards, etc) Act CAP 463 LFN which states: 

18(1) “The President may, notwithstanding any provision of this Act, take such measures as occasion may warrant in order to improve the efficiency or due administration of the teaching hospitals specified in the Schedule to this Act.”

18(2) “ For the purpose of section (1 )of this section, the President may appoint or give such authority for the appointment of Military Commandments to take charge of administration of any of the teaching hospitals specified in this Act for such period as may be stipulated in the authority.

Again, section 19 of the act, on the definition of hospital states “Hospital includes all institutions (however called) controlled by the board.” Government should as a matter of urgency bring sanity into the system by making sure; that this sabotage by allopathic doctors is stopped. The Government should declare their actions illegal. 

 

As the Health Sector moves towards TOPHET a symbol of collapse, we must do all it takes to salvage her, by doing what is right!

 

By AJUFO,BENJAMIN CHUKWUNONSO 

ASABA 

 

About the Author:

Ajufo Benjamin Chukwunonso is the Secretary Association of Medical laboratory Scientists Delta State Branch.

 

Part 1