Dismayed by government’s continued refusal to address its sundry demands to enhance qualitative health services to the people, the Imo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has threatened to commence a three-day warning strike beginning on Monday, June 16 by 8am.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Emeka Obioha, who addressed newsmen at NMA secretariat in Owerri said that the action was a fallout of the meeting the association held on May 29 where members took the decision to stand up and defend their colleagues in both state and federal government services.
Obioha, who also doubles as chairman of the association in the South East, listed 10 months salary arrears being owed the doctors at the State Specialist Hospital Umuguma, posting of members of the association to various parts of the state without the necessary allowance to enable them settle down comfortably for business in their areas of new posting, as well as the non resolution of the grievances of the doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri which had compelled them to be on strike for two months has reasons for the decision.
According to Obioha, while the February salary of the current house officers at FMC was drastically slashed by the management, the former house officers who were being owed two months salaries only received one month pay despite directive by the federal government that they should be paid for the two months.
“We are constrained to adopt the option of strike because the federal government and the Imo State government have bluntly refused to address our legitimate demand which is in the best interest of the health sector and we appeal to all including the clergy to do something in this direction before it is too late,” Obioha said.
