Minister decries incessant strikes by doctors

MINISTER of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said the frequent strikes in the health sector has made the sector to lose the original aim of using such industrial disputes as a weapon for workers globally to seek better conditions of service.

Chukwu decried a situation where medical doctors no longer show patience with relevant authorities before resorting to industrial actions.

The minister spoke at the weekend in Abuja at the 52nd yearly general conference and delegates’ meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). He stated that it was through dialogue, understanding and harmony among medical doctors that the sector could boost the healthcare delivery service in the country.

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, said the meeting’s theme of “Health insurance scheme in Nigeria: Challenges and prospects” was apt as it would provide fresh insight into the nature of disease barriers for an effective healthcare.

She urged dialogue and consultation among medical practitioners and the authorities in resolving disputes instead of embarking on avoidable strikes.

But Chukwu said: “Despite some ugly situations some of you may face, you have been in this country and you are offering treatment. The good people among us need to work on the bad people, the vocal few sometimes give the profession a bad name.

“The weapon, which workers all over the world have (which is strike) is being abused just like you can abuse any drug. It’s not every time you have headache that you wish to take paracetamol. In my language (Ibo), it’s said that ‘Chukwu ka Dibia,’ meaning that ‘God is greater than the physician’. But the fact that physicians are even second is good enough”, he said.

The minister said the adage places great responsibility on the physicians and advised medical doctors that “when you have grievances, be patient”.

The guest speaker and Acting Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Abdurahman Sambo, stressed the need for financing as key to service delivery, especially in the healthcare system in any part of the country.

He listed the challenges of the NHIS to include poverty among people in the rural areas that are potential enrollees of the scheme and distribution of enrollees in the healthcare facilities.