Medical, dental consultants suspend planned nationwide strike

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has suspended its planned nationwide strike by three months following an appeal by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Services, Muhammad Pate. The decision was part of the resolutions reached by MDCAN and contained in its communique issued at the end of its 13th Biennial Delegates meeting held in Kano.

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President of MDCAN, Prof. Aminu Muhammad, said in view of the appeal by the  minister of Health, P the association resolved to extend the ultimatum by three months.

“We resolved to extend the ultimatum to allow the Federal Government to address all the pending issues. If government fails  to address these demands at the end of the three months, we will go ahead with our  next line of action,” he said.

 

Muhammad, speaking on the problems of brain-drain, explained that available records show that over 500 highly trained doctors and consultants have left Nigeria.

He appealed to the federal government to urgently provide a holistic solution to the challenges of brain-drain which should include incentives, to encourage retention of the already depleted health care human resources in Nigeria.

“Critical stakeholders in medical education should work together to fashion out sustainable pathways for improving the quality and quantity of medical and dental graduates in Nigeria”, he said.

Muhammad called on government at all levels to save  the medical education through provisions of improve infrastructure, adequate funding and renumeration for staff.

On Aug. 23, the council issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government to meet its demands or face industrial disharmony. MDCAN NEC said it was dismayed by the non-implementation of the jointly agreed upward review of CONMESS and the introduction of Accoutrement allowance with the Nigerian Medical Association, as the released circular only captured the percentage increase on the basic salary, as against applying it to both the basic salaries and all allowances except hazard allowance.

Wumi/NAN