Friday, August 8, 2014

Nigerian Doctors Have Not Suspended The Strike – NMA

Onyebuchi-Chukwu

Contrary to the report that the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called off its one month strike following the outbreak of Ebola in the country, the body, on Thursday, said it is yet to return to work.
The Secretary of NMA, Kaduna chapter, Shehu Abdulrahman, stated that reports on social media that the association had called of its strike were mere propaganda from the government, adding that the association was yet to come to terms with the government.
“No, the strike has not been called off. The strike continues; that was the resolution of our meeting that was held (Wednesday) through (Thursday),” Mr. Abdulrahman said.
"Abdulrahman, however, stated that irrespective of the strike, doctors were allowed to volunteer in various hospitals to help contain the spread of the deadly disease which has killed over 900 people in West Africa. He also disclosed that the NMA had instructed its Lagos chapter to set up various wards in selected Lagos hospitals".

“In fact, the NMA has put that into consideration and we have taken a reasonable approach. (The Association) has directed the Lagos chapter to set up booths within the hospitals in Lagos. They have containment wards and isolated cubicles where screening and quarantining are being done. They have a de-containment section where they are taking care of those that are found infected”, Mr. Abdulrahman told Premium Times.

Abdulrahman clarified that the presence of doctors in the Lagos hospitals to help in the control of the disease’s spread, however, did not mean that the strike had been called off. He called on the Nigerian Government to do the needful and attend to the issues tabled before it by the association. He noted that “the minimum endpoints” have not been met by the government.

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