JOHESU: ‘Primary, Secondary Healthcare Providers Threaten to Join Strike If…’
Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at Nyanya General Hospital, Mr Egwu Emmanuel on Wednesday, in Abuja, said the ongoing indefinite strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), was only for the tertiary hospitals for now.
Recall, JOHESU began its nationwide indefinite strike on May 25, 2023.
Mr. Emmanuel added that the secondary and primary hospitals would join the strike if the Federal Government refuses to resolve the issues that led to the strike.
“We are doing our job as expected, but if after a few weeks, the government did not do anything about issues raised that led to the strike, we will join our colleagues in the tertiary hospitals,’’ he said.
The Nyanya Scientist, however, urged the government to look into the issues raised by the unions to avoid Nigerians suffering.
According to reports, a patient at Nyanya General Hospital, Mrs Rita Okoro, who was at the hospital for some medical tests, also appealed to the federal government to consider health as a priority by addressing the problems in the health sector to avert recurring strikes by health workers.
Another patient at the hospital, Mrs Amaka Emma, similarly, advised the union and government to resolve their differences with a view to averting suffering by Nigerians.
The NAN correspondent who visited the Maitama General Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, observed that patients were being attended to.
JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) began an indefinite strike over the alleged federal government’s failure to adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers, as was done with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for physicians.
Some of their demands include:
- immediate payment of omissions and shortfalls in the COVID-19 hazard allowances of affected health workers in federal health institutions.
-recognition of health workers in non-core hospital facilities in payment of the hazard allowance.
-speedy implementation of an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants in the health professions. (NAN)
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