Ogaraku, who spoke shortly after an emergency meeting of the Executive Steering Committee of the association, also directed doctors in public and private hospitals in the state to immediately comply with the decision. Meanwhile, the chairman, who was assisted by the state Secretary of the NMA, Dr. Zubair Kabiru, directed members working in all state-owned hospitals to commence an indefinite strike immediately, while their counterparts in the Federal Medical Centre will embark on one-week sympathy strike beginning from January 30.

 

He said their action was necessitated by the mass sack of doctors on the payroll of the state government and refusal to pay their salary and allowances as at when due. He said: “The leadership of the NMA met to review developments and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the government on the issues and discovered that the government has failed to keep its promise.

 

“The NMA abided by its own part of the MoU by extending the ultimatum by two weeks to allow the state government implement the MoU as signed. But, the Kogi State Government has completely reneged in all aspects of the MoU.

 

The report of the staff screening and verification exercise as released has put doctors in Kogi State in a more miserable situation. “Several doctors were prematurely sacked, uncleared or declared as ghost workers under very flimsy excuses that are not in conformity with the laid down civil service rules.”

 

Therefore, the NMA said it had no confidence in the Appeal Screening Committee as composed and will not honour the outcome of its exercise.

 

“In order to reduce the untold hardship to the innocent patients as a result of the strike action caused by Kogi State Government, the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, and other private clinics shall be available to render services during the period that they are not on sympathy strike,” the association said. Meanwhile, the state government is yet to react to the NMA’s action and the strike.

 

 

Source:MWN