Senate moves to stop doctors’ strike

Soji-Eze Fagbemi and Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 28.02.2008

WORRIED by the threat of a nationwide strike by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Senate has directed its Committees on Labour and Health to intervene in the impending crisis with a view to preventing the doctors’ strike.

Besides, the Senate resolved to request the NMA to consider dialogue as a vital instrument of resolving the dispute, rather than resorting to strike.

Moving a motion entitled: “Threat of a nationwide strike by the Nigerian Medical Association,” Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, said the it health care delivery system would be at risk if the strike was allowed to take place.

Senator Obasanjo-Bello, who moved the motion on behalf of two other senators, Senators Anthony Manzo and Gyang Dantong, observed that industrial disharmony had been looming in the health sector and “if not contained, could result in another period of agony, grief and loss of lives difficult to quantify in monetary terms.”

She also noted that the bone of contention was the rejection of the CONTISS salary scale approved for medical personnel and the demand for Medical Salary Structure (MSS)scale by the NMA.

Senator Obasanjo-Bello also noted that the Jos University Teaching Hospital was yet to pay the subsisting CONTISS salary scale, thereby aggravating the situation.

Following another motion moved by 27 senators, the Senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Transport (Aviation) to compel all airline operators using the Nigerian airspace to install the emergency locator transmitter beacon 406Mhz in their aircraft before the global deadline of February 1, 2009.

It also mandated its Committee on Aviation to come up with a bill to evolve a legislation that would enhance air safety in the country.

Senator George Thompson Sekibo, who moved the motion on mandatory installation of Emergency Locator Transmitter Beacon in all aircraft recalled how over 300 lives were lost in four air disasters between 2005 and 2006.

Expressing concern that many aircraft flying in the country’s airscape were not equipped with sensitive emergency equipment such as the emergency beacon, he pointed out that installation of safety equipment and distress calls indicators should not be compromised.