The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has given a 21-day strike ultimatum to Governor Abdullahi Sule over the poor welfare packages of doctors across the 13 local government areas of the state.
Addressing a press conference in Lafia, the state capital, on Tuesday, the state Chairman of NMA, Dr Peter Attah, said failure of the state government to implement the doctors’ demands within the notice period given, the association would have no other option but to declare an indefinite industrial action.
He said the 21-day ultimatum given to the state government was to tackle the challenges being faced by members of the association which included non-implementation of promotion for doctors and annual salary increments; non-implementation of minimum wage and consequential adjustments; as well as non-implementation of the reviewed hazard allowance and the accrued 17 months arrears.
Others were inadequate manpower and overwork of doctors; high burden of taxation on doctors; and medical residency training fund, among others.
“The challenges we are facing are enormous. We just decided to come up with these ones for now, and we hope that the state government will look inwards on the matter from today; June 13 till July 3, 2023, when we will be embarking on an industrial action if our demands are not met by the state government,” he added.
Dr Attah called on Governor Sule to as a matter of urgency address the issues raised by the association so as to tackle the persistent brain drain in the health sector as no fewer than 27 medical doctors had left the state since January 2023 owing to the poor condition of service.
