By Henry Uche
Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has accused the Nigeria Medical Association, (NMA) of being antagonistic towards it (JOHESU) on all fronts. This came after a notice of 15-day ultimatum and commencement of an Indefinite strike by JOHESU was issued.
In a statement delivered by the national president of the union, Biobelemoye Joy Josiah, JOHESU criticised a memo written by NMA to the minister of health, which, according to JOHESU, was a proof of resentment by NMA against the joint health union.
JOHESU, after a painstaking analysis of the memo, called on the the minister of health to clean the Augean stables in public interest and look into its other submissions.
JOHESU said, “As usual, the childish tirades of the NMA was laden with evil chicanery and satanic antagonism in a scenario that epitomises unwholesome meddlesomeness of the idle, ignorant and very inexperienced crop of representatives who lead the NMA.
“We, therefore, make these submission thus: adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) as was done for Consolidate Medical Salaries Structures (CONMESS).
“The NMA is not the employer of JOHESU members so its busybody propensities remain unexplainable. We, therefore, urge the honorable minister to dismiss the tendencies of these despots and tyrants because of the nuisance value they constitute.
“Vest Welfare Conditions enjoyed by physicians in civil service medical elders and patriots need to help the persons who style themselves as the brain-box of NMA that they are positioning this once-upon-a-time famous and noble body to an emerging body of liars and charlatans who specialise in dabbling into other people’s business.”
They added that the no-residency training for health professionals was indispensable, noting that the NMA often suggests that the golden rule in healthcare in Nigeria remains that anything it does not endorse does not exist.
“If the NMA suddenly says it is not aware of residency training, which it has tried to frustrate in the FHIs exist, then JOHESU wishes to educate these obvious educated illiterates that, as far back as July 2015, the FMOH issued a residency training circular for pharmacists undergoing postgraduate training at the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP).
“In the final analysis, the NMA should appreciate that, despite its abundance of mischief and ignorance, we continue to march on because we continue to stand on perfect logic. The immutability of the veracity of our submissions remain second to none.
“We call for implementation of consultant pharmacy cadre. The creation of the consultant pharmacist cadre is a reality and not a purported concept.
“We at JOHESU openly challenge the clueless NMA hierarchy to show the world evidence-based data that we do not have consultants in pharmacy, nursing, radiography, physiotherapy, medical laboratory science and other callings from those climes where international best practices evolved from. For the umpteenth time, we say this is the norm from the UK, USA, Australia, France and even Ghana, a neighbouring West African country.”
The union added that: “The fact that some people in NMA choose to be blind to advances in the various health professions as exemplified by pharmacy does not change or invalidate the approval of programmes by NUC or the adoption/regularisation of the consultant pharmacists cadre as circularised by the Head of Service of the Federation and the FMOH.
“While NMA is lamenting and groping in the dark, more state governments, including Niger State, which was the first to approve 10 years ago, Edo, Ondo and many more state governments, have commenced implementation. Perhaps the tomfoolery of the dictators in the rank of the NMA will give way someday to let them know that truly what the creator cannot do does not exist.”
They also called for the promoting hospital based consultants as CEOs of Federal Health Institutions, FHIs, saying, “the insouciant display of irresponsibility of the rascals who author various memoranda of the NMA does not have limits. Pray who says a hospital based consultant does not have post-graduate qualifications. Since leaders of NMA do not even understand the qualifications they have bagged, we hasten to inform them that a holder of a Fellowship in the Health Sector has a post-graduate qualification and so meets the condition precedent to aspire to be CEO of the FHIs.”
“We call for a non- discriminatory Hazard Allowance. The NMA team to the various bargaining sessions of the FG mediated discourse on hazard allowance tried in vain to impose a conqueror mentality. It should interest the consuming public that despite all the expositions put forward by NMA to misinform on the payment of hazard allowance, it remains a truth that in the last 12 years all health workers from the most junior to senior earned N60,000/annum in respect of this allowance.
“What has suddenly changed again in 2021 that should warrant these greedy physicians to earn more hazard allowance than their colleagues in that sector?
“All health workers share a basic humanity and this must continue to be the rationale for equity in the payment of hazard allowance established and has prevailed since 2009. After all there are other allowances such as inducement, etc that provides differentials owing to skills, training, etc.
“We call for a review of Retirement Age for Health Workers. JOHESU championed this initiative which initially was opposed by physicians because it didn’t originate from them: and it is gratifying as the FG has accepted this for health workers. We urge the FG to catalyze all necessary junctures in due process for a successful implementation.”
They added that NMA has come across as an organisation that is at best a consummate power monger with poor intellectual, moral and human relations output. Its alliance with untruth, further breeds alliance with same.
“The ill posture of insubordination with which the NMA contends with members of the Health Constituency is overtly and covertly aided by the Government at all levels through its appointments, policy direction and other dictates of due process which display no courtesies for the rights, privileges and liberties of other players in the health sector as bonafide citizens of the state.
“The current events and attitude of the NMA will be a test case to see what the FG is prepared to do as it tackles our demands. Many of our members believe that we were shortchanged in 2018 because you and the Ministers-in-charge of Health are kith and kin with the NMA dynasty as you all share same professional DNA. JOHESU leadership will give your Ministry another opportunity to clean this stinking Augean stable in public interest,” they stressed.