Experts blame government for health sector challenges, threaten industrial action

Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) President, Dr. Victor Makanjuola, yesterday, blamed the government for problems in the country’s health sector, just as he also appealed to the National Assembly to throw away the bill seeking to amend the Teaching Hospital Act in its entirety.

According to him, problems in the health sector remain largely unresolved by the government, with health care workers leaving the shores of the country in droves to more secure climes with better conditions of service.

[FILES] Medical team performing open surgery on a patient

A communiqué, signed by Makanjuola and the Secretary-General of the association, Dr. Yemi Raji, noted: “The apparent intention of the relevant government agencies to engender disruption of services in secondary and tertiary health institutions across the country, by the failure to implement the payment of the approved hazard allowance, pay outstanding arrears occasioned by skipping, extend the retirement age of health workers to limit ongoing massive brain drain in the health sector as well as correct the shortfall in the salaries of honorary consultants who are clinical lecturers in the University.”

Makanjuola warned: “We cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the government hospitals if these demands are not met within the next two weeks. We, therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in order to avert the impending crisis.”