Some residents of Abakaliki have urged the Federal Government to act fast to avert the proposed nationwide strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) due to begin Wednesday, July 23.
The association had earlier in the week warned of a national strike by its members over unmet demands within the 21-day ultimatum it gave the federal government.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, some residents of Abakaliki who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews on Tuesday urged the federal government to act fast to avert the looming doctors strike.
Mr Obinna Okechukwu, a civil servant said that strike by the medical doctors would result to untold hardships especially to families whose loved ones are on admission in federal medical institutions and advised the government to dialogue with the aggrieved doctors.
“It will not be a good development for medical doctors or any segment of the nation’s healthcare providers to embark on any strike under the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria.
“I’m appealing to both NMA and the federal government to engage and reach fruitful compromise so that the nation’s health institutions will not be shut down due to strike,” Okechukwu said.
Mr Philips Arukwe, another resident whose relative is on admission at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital (AE-FUTH), Abakaliki appealed to the medical experts to shelve the proposed strike and engage further with the federal government on their demands.
“Most Nigerians don’t have enough financial resources to access private medical service in any event of nationwide strike by public medical doctors and so do we.
“My brother has been on admission at AE-FUTH for two weeks, if the strike begins, he will be abandoned; so I’m begging both the federal government and the agitating doctors to consider the plight of the ordinary Nigerians who would be affected by the industrial action,” Arukwe said.
Another resident, Mrs Ifeoma Onwe, called on President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the medical and health needs of the citizens and act fast to abort the impending strike.
“As the father of the nation, I want to plead to our President to do everything within his powers to avert the proposed strike because any strike action by medical doctors will disrupt medical services in all federal-owned medical and health institutions,” Onwe said.
Onwe, a nursing mother noted that public health facilities should be properly funded to enable them to fully deliver credible and uninterrupted medical and health services to the people especially those who could not afford private medical services.
The residents noted that constant disruptions of medical services at the public medical institutions would lead to people patronising medical quacks to the detrimental of their health.
Our correspondent reports that the MMA President, Dr Bala Audu, said talks with top government officials were held two weeks ago, but a follow-up meeting was stalled due to the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He disclosed that the association rejected a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), which reviewed allowances for medical and dental officers.
Our correspondent further reports that the association has been demanding for an improved welfare package for its members with enhanced salary packages and improved allowances. ENDS//
