Skip to main content

JOHESU Urges NMA To Call Off ‘Illegal’ Strike, Citing Emergency In Health Sector

August 15, 2014

"JOHESU calls on NMA to observe the rule of law and call off the strike in the interest of the patients and the national emergency situation in the country.”

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) today described the strike embarked upon by medical doctors in the country as illegal, and urged the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to call it off in the interest of patients and the national emergency situation in the country.

Image
Empty beds in Nigeria hospital

The position is contained in a communique issued following a meeting of JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations in Abuja.

“While not grudging the NMA demands, we want to point out that the strike embarked upon by NMA is illegal,” the communique said.  “JOHESU noted with dismay that the injunction restraining the medical and dental consultants association from embarking on strike was not obeyed as it claims that their members are also NMA members. JOHESU calls on NMA to observe the rule of law and call off the strike in the interest of the patients and the national emergency situation in the country.”

The union commended the government for the efforts put up so far to curtail the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease, but stressed that a lot still needed to be done to protect the citizens, especially the health workers.

Commiserating with the family of the nurse who died in active service as a result of the Ebola infection, JOHESU urged the government to compensate the family of the deceased adequately, and make adequate provision for the protection of other health workers.

“The incident has further shown that members of JOHESU are more prone to hazards on the job,” the statement said.  The death of the nurse also proves that a patient does not necessarily go to the hospital to see medical practitioner but to get treated.”

Topics
PUBLIC HEALTH