HAPPYNigeria Calls For Speedy Resolution To Industrial Disputes In Nigerian Health Sector

    

Health Advocacy Promotion and Partnership by Youths in Nigeria (HAPPYNigeria), a national youth-led, not-for–profit NGO has called for a speedy resolution of industrial disputes by various professional unions in the Nigerian public health sector.

It described the present problem in the Nigerian health sector as a serious concern for well meaning Nigerians and an ugly situation that must have led to the loss of numerous innocent lives.

According to media reports, doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) downed tools following an alleged inability of government to accede to various demands contained in their 24-request protest letter.

As a result of this, health facilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are deserted with only skeletal services being rendered by few consultants and other health workers.

“The effects of the ongoing nationwide strike action by the doctors, commenced 1st July 2014, are monumental and devastating. Many sick children and pregnant women who require urgent attention by the doctors are being denied. All over the country, thousands of surgical cases that require surgical operation have been put on hold with dire consequences,” HAPPYNigeria said in a public statement signed by its Executive Director, DR. Femi Akinwumi.

While calling on the NMA to sheathe its sword in the overall interest of their patients and the downtrodden, HAPPYNigeria urged relevant government agencies to intervene with a view to finding lasting solution to the impasse.

It implored government at all levels to be proactive in addressing industrial disharmony in heath and allied sectors in order to avert these incessant strike actions being embarked upon by doctors and other health workers and its attendant loss of human lives and economic misfortune.

The youth-led initiative also enjoined government to, as a matter of national top priority, convoke a National Health Stakeholders’Summit (or any other name government may choose to call it) to discuss and come up with workable solutions to the lingering inter-professional conflicts and poor funding facing the country’s health system.

This, it says will go a long way to restore dignity and confidence of Nigerians in the country’s health system.

Established in 2006, HAPPYNigeria inspires the Nigerian youth to continuously challenge and expand the role of both the individual and institutions in addressing Nigeria’s Health and developmental needs in order to foster public health care quality improvement.