Fear of another nationwide strike in the health sector is hanging on the loose as the minister of health, Isaac Adewole has confirmed that government may not be able to pay federal health workers nationwide after resuming from near two months strike
Reports from across the country have reliably confirmed that the federal health institutions have resorted to the selective payment of its workforce through glaring nepotism and favoritism under the pretext of staff that were not part of the strike
The minister of health, Isaac Addewole however directed the CMD’s to compile few list of staffers due to paucity of funds as plans have been concluded to reduce by more than half the over 750,000 workforce of JOHESU members that recently returned from strike after truce and intervention by the NLC and the National Assembly
Efforts to reach the minister and the media team along with some of his personal aides proved abortive ,as they have deliberately shield away from any media statement that Involved the refusal to pay health workers in the last two months running into the third month
Reliable sources close to top government officials in the federal ministry of health confirmed the ministers insistence not to pay health workers arrears of two months salaries in line with no work no pay guidelines
In a face of with the President of the NLC,Ayuba Waba,it was confirmed that President Buhari may not be unaware of the decision against the workers in the federal health sector as they insisted, the best practice and policies must be invoked
The implications of the implementation of the minister’s decision will attract another massive strike involving all health sector of the country
Pundits have accused the current minister of health Isaac Adewole in connivance with NMA had reverted himself to minister of doctors,instead of minister of health to the detriment of the sector
Efforts by the international bodies saddled with the health programs had warned on the dangers of government playing down on the. Importance of health to ordinary Nigerians by refusing to pay worker
The most dangerous signal is the divide and rule tactics adopted between the staffers in the health sectors and skipping chunk of others
It was also confirmed that only the CMD,University of Maiduguri teaching hospital paid the two months arrears after the health workers resumption from strike but was queried by the minister to show course why he will not be sanctioned
Thousands of patients seeking for medical attention trooped to federal hospitals in anticipation of another round of strike that was envisaged may seal the entire public health sector as sources confirmed of a warning strike of 48 hours after the sallah break/celebrations
Many sick people with chronic and terminal diseases have died during the period of strike either for their inability to pay for medical expenses and bills or access quality medical care owing to lack of professional hands to attend to them.
By Yusuf Abubakar
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