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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr Salihu Moh Lukman, has chided Nigerian striking doctors for sacrificing their professional ethics by withdrawing services in hospitals at the detriment of the lives of innocent Nigerians.
Lukman, in a statement he issued in Abuja last weekend, argued that it is scandalous that agitation by NARD leaders is not about qualitatively reviewing those conditions that goes beyond cheap Naira and Kobo negotiations.
While insisting that job protection, better conditions of service and higher remuneration should not be more important than human lives, the PGF DG frowned at the continuation of the strike action.
“Part of what is clearly a major crisis is the fact that although in most cases, disputes between workers and employers are limited mainly to some few state governments, somehow, in complete violation of legal provisions or industrial relations practices and conventions, wildcat national strikes beyond the organisations affected are declared.
“Even when strikes produce human casualties, including deaths, both leaders of unions and employers, including governments behave as if it is normal. It is difficult to avoid the question, why should demands for job protection, better conditions of service and higher remuneration become more important than human life in Nigeria?
“Above all, the Code of Medical Ethics in Nigeria provided by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, under Part B (Professional Conduct) defined professional negligence to include ‘Failure to attend promptly to a patient requiring urgent attention when the practitioner was in a position to do so.’
“How can this important ethical requirement be reconciled with the whimsical disposition of Resident Doctors in Nigeria to go on strike, including what is clearly a solidarity strike? It is very easy to put all the blame on government and political leaders in the country.
“There is every reason to recognise the challenge that always come with the reality of governments operating both as a sovereign authority as well as employer of labour. Being sovereign authority, makes it easy to associate governments with repressive practices, which in the context of management of labour relations result in violations or refusals to implement agreements.
“The reality is that, increasingly, recognising that government and political leaders in Nigeria would have taken wrong steps that breached conditions of employment, does that then become the licence to sacrifice the lives of innocent Nigerians by withdrawing services in Nigerian hospitals? No doubt, Medical Doctors, and health workers generally, require special attention.
“It is very demeaning that the required special attention is being reduced to languages of industrial relations bordering on cheap demands for so-called improved working conditions and higher wages. That Resident Doctors and health workers in Nigeria are being discussed in very elementary vocabulary reflects the endemic empirical and conceptual crisis the country is facing.
“As a nation, we must elevate the status of Resident Doctors and health workers in the country. This goes beyond the realm of any institutional arrangement for the practice of collective bargaining. It is more about political decisions based on which special status and privileges are provided for special category of workers.
“It is in fact, the privilege of enjoying those special status that justify placing the sector as an essential service sector. No doubt, provisions of the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Act would make some of those provisions, which may need periodic review. It is scandalous that the agitation by the leaders of NARD is not about qualitatively reviewing those conditions that goes beyond cheap Naira and Kobo negotiations.
“Eventually, no doubt, everything comes down to Naira and Kobo. But there are provisions with very high monetary value, which may not cost a dime to government. For instance, assuming that being a Resident Doctor or a health worker in a state government establishment qualifies one to be on priority list for land allocation for the purpose of building personal accommodation.
“Also, assuming state governments can facilitate financing arrangement with banks to NARD and other organisations of health workers for their members with valid Certificate of Occupancy to build personal accommodations. There are so many non-monetary incentives, which have very high monetary value to the beneficiaries that can be arranged,” he argued.
Reacting further, Lukman said: “Sadly, both governments and leaders of workers organisations in these essential service sectors are locked in the limited negotiations of monetary awards, which at best whittled down the profile of a very special category of an important sector such as health, which is required to provide uninterrupted services dearly needed by all citizens for our survival and wellbeing.
“To be endowed by God Almighty with the intelligence to become a medical doctor or health worker must not be devalued in anyway. Not devaluing these category of personnel means there are superior demands being negotiated, which may mean zero costs to employers but higher value to workers beyond wages and current conditions of services.
“This is what should be on the table for negotiation, which an agreement should make it easy for all state governments to implement, based on which every worker in the health sector is proud to provide uninterrupted services, no matter what.
“The challenge before the nation is not about lamentation. It is more about creatively finding solutions. It is worrisome, that Nigerians could easily justify why strike actions are taking place in essential service sectors such as health.
“There is the need to appeal to all Nigerians, not just political leaders, we need to all take steps to stop the current madness in the country whereby we can resort to actions that consume human lives,” he insisted.
