The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) at the weekend condemned the closure of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri by the minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, declaring that the minister acted against the resolutions reached by stakeholders after its joint tripartite negotiation meeting. The union in a statement signed by JOHESU chairman, comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josiah, the vice chairman, Dr. Ogbonna Obinna and the secretary Florence Ekpebor also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the crisis rocking the FMC, Oweri.The JOHESU leaders explained that after a long deliberation on how to resolve the problem, the minister and came up with two options, which include a decision that the Medical Director and her Top Management Committee (TMC) should be given a second chance and allow to stay in office, while the situation would be assessed within three months. The statement reads further, “The representatives of the unions, including the Medical and Dental Council, Association of Resident Doctors and Nigeria Medical Association, Imo State held a brief meeting, and returned to convey their choice of option two to the House and the honourable minister.
“Thereafter, an appeal was made by one Dr. Onuoha; a member of the TMC to take same two options above to congress of workers which the Minister of Health granted and requested them to forward their decision at the congress to him on or before Wednesday 9th December, 2015. “Consequently, the workers representatives after their congress meeting forwarded the unanimous decision of option two: which is, that the medical director should go with her TMC.”
The union said surprisingly, the minister “discarded the peoples’ decision, and opted for the closure of the hospital, which was not an option placed before the house.”
Source:Leadership Online
