The Truth According to a striking Doctor.

My amebo is too much sef! Haba! na only me be first to get malaria and coincidentally happen to go to the government hospital on the day the Lagos state government employed medical doctors decide to go on strike? Na wah!

Yes, Tolu gave me her own version of the issue on ground, below is vivid description according to a spokes person for the striking Medical Doctors

Ibeme Nnamdi wrote:

For your information; Issues concerning the Nigerian Medical Association,Medical guild of Lagos. The consolidated medical salary scale is the salary structure designed by the federal government 4years ago with the aim of providing a uniform salary scale for doctors irrespective of the state,kind of hospital,and specialization. With an annual increment denoting years of experience. Most states in the country immediately began paying "Conmess" in full. 2years after this,the medical guild wrote several letters to the government to remind them of "Conmess" as they were yet to be paid. The governor then SIGNED an agreement that he would commence payment in 2011 with arrears being owed.

The federal government made it clear that if conmess is paid, Doctors would ignore the poor work conditions,work extended hours like they have been but this time they would be happy doing it, they wouldn't have to leave the country to work abroad, more people would be encouraged to train as doctors and the health of the people would be secured. Tax was increased, conmess was not paid, work conditions were not improved, doctor's lives were lost to stress related illnesses. Call rooms were not provided for doctors on call.

When Mr Fashola was reminded in January,he simply said the President couldn't dictate how much he would pay doctors in his state,and the tax increase was necessary so we can get used to it INCASE he agrees to implement conmess! He said he couldn't afford to pay conmess(but could plan the most expensive birthday party in the World for Mr Tinubu) We then embarked on a legal 3day warning strike with prior notice to sensitize the people and remind the government of the signed agreement On resumption,all doctors were given individual query letters(for a joint action?). Another one was issued,then letters were issued for "call to panel / impending dismissal from duty".

A week later, armour tanks were brought to all lagos general hospitals and teaching hospital Lasuth ikeja,with doctors walked out of their clinics while seeing patients. The Med guild immediately called for an indefinite strike and the lagos state government sued for breech of agreement and Victimisation of doctors. Fake pay slips were published in the papers 2weeks ago claiming doctors were being paid as much as 900,000 whereas a medical professor of 20years has never been paid as much as 500,000.

A Neurosurgeon(brain surgeon) consultant still collects 171,000 as salary. Be informed we have only less dan 20 in Nigeria(2of them with lagos state,they trained in America,they have both been sacked!).They work round the clock(we have enough head injuries daily due to road traffic accidents). 3days ago,we were issued sack letters and 97 doctors(not 373 like u heard) were employed as locum doctors (doctors paid per hour). These locum doctors need residents and consultants to put them through. It takes years of experience to perform a caesarian section on a woman or a brain surgery(esp bore hole to relieve increased brain pressure or blood in d brain) or an appendectomy or treat a sick child or even to help a mentally ill patient.

NMA has made it clear that the newly appointed doctors should not & would not accept the job offer,and that all doctors across the nation would join in the strike against victimization on friday after the on going professional exams. The issue is now beyond CONMESS struggle - the government is aiming to devour the medical and dental profession. Be informed that doctors are not slaves,our Hippocratic oath explains that we owe an obligation to our patients and they owe an obligation to us and our services must be paid for.

Thanks for taking time to read this. I hope you have been well informed.

NB: * Conmess* (Consolidated medical salary structure)