The Lagos State Medical Guild, a body of medical practitioners, has accused the state government of a malicious intent to prolong the ongoing crisis in the healthcare sector. The guild, which had filed a suit challenging the move by the Lagos State Government to sack 788 striking doctors employed by the state, reacted sharply to the state government’s legal ploy at yesterday’s session of the National Industrial Court (NIC) where the case is being heard.
The Lagos State Medical Guild, a body of medical practitioners, has accused the state government of a malicious intent to prolong the ongoing crisis in the healthcare sector. The guild, which had filed a suit challenging the move by the Lagos State Government to sack 788 striking doctors employed by the state, reacted sharply to the state government’s legal ploy at yesterday’s session of the National Industrial Court (NIC) where the case is being heard.
The doctors embarked on a strike to protest the state government’s failure to implement pay and other benefits negotiated in a package called CONMESS. After the state government announced it was sacking all the striking doctors, their guild filed a suit at the industrial court seeking to stop the action.
The suit could not be heard at yesterday’s session as Lagos State’s counsel, Ade Ipaye, filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court to hear the case. Mr. Ipaye also questioned the legal capacity of the medical guild to sue on behalf of the doctors, claiming that the body is not a recognized body and therefore could not bring a suit on behalf of the grieving doctors.
Counsel to the guild, Bamidele Aturu, however countered the state’s plea. In the end, the hearing was bogged down by argument over the industrial court’s jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court had ruled last year during a similar face-off between the medical practitioners and the state government that the doctors had a right to embark on a strike.
In a statement issued today and signed by the chairman of the Lagos Medical Guild, Mr. Odusote, and the Guild’s secretary, Mr. Idris Olusola Durojaiye, the medical group accused the Lagos State Government of desperation to prolong the healthcare crisis in the state.
“The events at the National Industrial Court and the NBA-mediation committee meeting on Tuesday 22nd May 2012 have once again exposed the desperation of the Lagos State Government to prolong the present health sector crisis as long as possible for self-serving reasons,” the statement alleged.
The guild also stated that top Lagos State officials were working hard to stall any hearing on the case of the sacked doctors by challenging the competence of any court to hear the matter.
“The court is yet to hear the substantive case of illegal sack. Top government officials have boasted that they will drag the issue of jurisdiction as far as the Supreme Court in order to further prolong commencement of hearing of the substantive suit.
“Having realized the illegality of the mass sack of doctors and the possible reversal of this action by the court, the government is trying to avoid public embarrassment by prolonging the matter in court as long as possible in order to break the resolve of the doctors. This will not happen as all doctors in the country have resolved to protect the dignity, sanctity and honor of the medical profession,” said the guild.
Soon after the adjournment of the hearing at the NIC yesterday, the doctors said they headed for a mediation meeting called by the Nigerian Bar Association. The NBA had called the meeting to help resolve the lingering crisis between the Lagos State Government and the sacked doctors. But guild officials claimed that some top officials of Lagos State again schemed to scuttle the reconciliation bid.
“Similarly, at the NBA-mediation committee meeting later same day, the government team also frustrated the efforts of the mediators by requesting for an indefinite adjournment of the sitting. This has effectively put an end to negotiations between the government and the doctors,” said the guild’s statement.
The guild added, “It is rather unfortunate that while the suffering masses are clamoring for a speedy resolution of the crisis, the government is busy playing politics with their lives. At this point, the masses are at the mercy of the government they supposedly voted to power to
protect their welfare.” The guild pledged its determination to “continue to pursue all legal and
peaceful means of resolving this crisis.”
Public hospitals in Lagos have been shut for several weeks due to the government’s feud with the doctors. The state government recently claimed it had employed some 300 doctors for the government-owned hospitals, but sources within the health sector dispelled the claim.
“Some of the medical lecturers in the College of Medicine that were contacted by the Lagos State Government to pick up the vacant jobs declined the offers on the ground of solidarity with
their sacked colleagues,” said a reliable source.
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