The Presidential Committee of Experts on Inter-Professional Relationship in the Public Health Sector has identified 50 areas of conflict among health workers in the country.

 

President Goodluck Jonathan set up the committee led by a former Head of Service, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, with the mandate of looking into the unhealthy rivalries among health professionals.

 

The committee submitted its report on Friday.

 

Yayale told the President that the 50 areas of conflict were arrived at after receiving memoranda and interacting with about 40 professional bodies in the Public Health Sector and members of the public.

 

 

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, further quoted Yayale as saying that the areas of conflicts were categorised into organisational management, leadership and team work, remuneration and motivation, career management, capacity building, professional practice, labour, legal and governance issues.

 

He said the committee had made far-reaching recommendations to resolve conflicts in the sector.

 

In his response, Jonathan promised to act expeditiously on the report in order to end the unhealthy rivalries.He said the Federal Government would review the report immediately with a view to issuing a White Paper on it and beginning the implementation of its recommendations early next year.

 

“I had to set up the committee because I am very sad, and I know most Nigerians feel very sad that strikes and unhealthy rivalries among professionals in the health sector have adversely affected medical services,” the President said.

 

He said he was optimistic that the implementation of the committee’s accepted recommendations would help to end unhealthy rivalries and incessant strikes in the public health sector.

 

The ugly situation, he said, had created an atmosphere of uncertainty in the sector, leaving many people with fewer options for quality medical services.

 

Source:

Punch