Hospitals to shutdown completely as JOHESU begin strike next week

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association (AHPA) have threatened to shut down health facilities nations wide, should Federal Government fails to address it’s demands within 7 days.
The health sector unions specifically said effective from Thursday September 14, 2017, the members are put on notice in preparation for a total shut down if government fails to address the agreements which was negotiated in 2012.
The unions includes Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Senior Staff Association of Universities,Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAM), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutes (NASU).
Addressing Journalists on the issues, National Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josiah said the workers would down tools as from Midnight of Wednesday 20th September, 2017 if all the demands were not met.
The demands according to Comrade Josiah are adjustment of Consolidated Health Salaries Structure (CONHESS) as done for CONMESS since January 2014, Abolition of scale to scale promotion and payment of outstanding arrears promotion, skipping and relativity.
Others are autonomy for teaching and specially hospitals in the country and other issues, implementation of all court judgements and review of retirement age from 60-65 years as done for the tertiary eduction sector.
On the autonomy for the teaching and specialist hospitals, the chairman said would end medical tourism and also affects service delivery to the citizens of Nigeria.
Josiah who is also the National President of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) further advocate that the management structure of the teaching/specialist hospitals should be re-organised to bring effectiveness to the services rendered in the hospital by reducing to the bearest minimum medical tourism.
“the teaching Hospital Act gave autonomy to the various Tertiary hospitals as they have separate Boards of management different from the governing councils of the Universities.
He said “rather than the CEOs,the chairman Medical advisory Committee (CMAC), the Deputy CMAC and all clinical heads being full time employees of the teaching Hospitals, they are appointed from the honorary consultants form the universities who are full time staff of the universities, some of them also have private hospitals and are therefore not committed to the growth of the hospitals as a servant cannot serve two masters at the same time hence most of the work in the hospitals are carried out by resident doctors who are postgraduate medical students.
“We are therefore left with no option than to give a final 7 days ultimatum with effect from Thursday 14th September,2017 and if by the midnight of Wednesday, 20th September, 2017 our demands are not met, all our members nationwide are called upon to embark on an indefinite strike”.

 

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