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Nigeria’s health sector faces total shutdown as JOHESU issues 15-day ultimatum

The current challenges in the Nigeria public hospitals could further be compounded as the joint health sector workers union has issued a 15-under day ultimatum to the federal government.

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The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association say they will commence an indefinite strike if outstanding welfare issues are not sorted within the period.

This comes as the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are still on strike over the government’s failure to meet their own demands too.

Biobelemonye Josiah, JOHESU’s national president, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and other relevant stakeholders on Saturday in Abuja, said that the 15-day ultimatum was necessitated by the non-challant attitude of the government to the plight of its members.

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According to Mr Josiah, the welfare issues include adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES) as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) since 2014, payment of all withheld April and May 2018 Salaries of our members and withheld Salaries in Federal Medical Center, Owerri, JUTH and LUTH, review of the defective implementation of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance, implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Consent judgment and other court judgments, increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for Consultant Health Professionals.

”Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantee fairness and justice to all concerned, payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to Nurses/Midwives and others.

”Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (Nurses, Midwives and others) and proper placement of Nurse Graduates and Interns,” he said.

JOHESU president also said others include payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals and all the Tertiary Health Institutions, proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector, among others.

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According to him, “you will recall that up till the time of writing this letter, the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to honour the Terms of Settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017.

”This is especially the upward review of CONHESS Salary Structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement amongst other requests.

”Government did not deem it fit to address these key issues during the duration of the last seven days’ warning strike and has only met with JOHESU on July 12,” he said.

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Mr Josiah said that in July 2020, that the health minister agreed that a mistake was made by the government in the payment of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowances.

He noted that the shortfall was in the payment of 50 per cent Basic of Consolidated allowances to all those Health Workers.

He added that up till the time of his letter, the shortfall has not been paid and to make matters worse, the government decided to again wrongfully pay 10 per cent of Consolidated Basic Allowances to JOHESU members affected by the shortfall of April and May 2020 in June.

“This is in contravention of the spirit and content of the MoU signed on April 21, 2020.

”JOHESU, in compliance with the provision of Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap.T8 LFN 2004, is constrained to give the Federal Government of Nigeria 15 days ultimatum with effect from September 3.

”This also is to inform you that with effect from midnight of September 17, all our members in the Federal Health Institutions shall embark on an indefinite strike action in all state and Local Government health institutions.” You are all placed on red alert for the strike, if the Federal Government foot drags in attending to our demands,” he said.

Mr Josiah, however, noted that JOHESU had shown maturity, selflessness and patriotism in the face of extreme provocations and government’s nonchalant attitude on the welfare of its members.

(NAN)