Medical, dental consultants threaten strike over unmet demands

Members of the  Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria have threatened to go on strike if their demands are not met by January 28, 2024.

The association made this known in a statement made available to PUNCH Healthwise and signed by the association’s president, Prof Aminu Mohammad and Secretary General, Dr Alhaji Daiyabu.

According to the statement, MDCAN, during its emergency National Executive Council meeting earlier in the month, deliberated on the correct payment of emoluments of Clinical medical lecturers with a Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, the increase in the retirement age to 70 years, the whereabouts of the kidnapped professor and improvement in the country’s security situation, among others.

In August, the Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences called for the release of Prof Ekanem Philip-Ephraim.

She was abducted on July 13 at her office in Calabar, Cross River.

In August, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation rejected the review of the retirement age of health professionals and medical and dental consultants to 66 and 70 years.

The association is demanding a circular directing all universities to begin the payment of emoluments of all medical and dental clinical doctors in public service with the CONMESS salary structure as stated in the newly revised CONMESS circular of July 2023.

MDCAN further requested the “immediate release of a circular on the increase of retirement age of medical and dental consultants to 70 years to reduce the paucity of manpower in the health sector for teaching and specialist healthcare services.

“Government should urgently complete the review of CONMESS by releasing a circular on the review of CONMESS allowances.

“Government and security agencies to declassify information on the state and whereabouts of Prof Philip Ephraim to bring succour to the family and colleagues.”

The statement further noted that failure to fully resolve their demands during the association’s National Executive Council meeting on January 22-28, 2024, “we cannot guarantee the continuation of all services rendered by members of our association.”

SOURCE: PUNCH

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