MINISTER of Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Friday said that the nationwide strike called by medical doctors on July 1 would be called off beginning from Monday next week.
The minister who briefed journalists in Abuja after a series of meetings with health sector stakeholders and representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said that the ministers of Labour and Productivity and the Health Ministry held a 10-hour long meeting with NMA Friday and they agreed to call off the strike but on condition that government meets certain key conditions.
Professor Chukwu who restated the Federal Government’s commitment to the growth of the health sector, disclosed that the three key demands of the striking workers have been addressed.
Although the minister noted that most of the earlier demands of the striking doctors have been addressed, he said that government in the interest of the public has accepted to grant the doctors the outstanding demands.
These, he said, include the signing of a fresh Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to state that the FG will no longer stop skipping, and that no medical doctor or House Officer should be barred from belonging to any medical association.
“At the end of meeting which lasted for 10 hours, another MOU was signed Friday . As I speak with you, the Federal Government has met its own side of the MOU and it is expected that the members of NMA would from today begin to respond and attend to all emergency cases in public hospitals in the spirit of this understanding. It is expected that the NMA will call off the strike after its emergency delegates’ meeting scheduled for next Monday July 7th 2014”, the minister said.
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