STRIKING DOCTORS IN IMO STATE VOW TO CONTINUE INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU
Doctors in Imo State have vowed to continue their on-going indefinite strike unless the government shows commitment to revamp the ailing health facilities in the state.
The Chairman Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Dr. Chidiebere Okwara, made this known in Owerri while briefing journalists on the one week-old industrial action embarked by doctors in the state.
He mentioned nonpayment of salaries of doctors at the state University Teaching Hospital Orlu since March 2020, loss of accreditation of courses at the teaching hospital since 2017 and non implementation of 2014 consolidated medical salary structure as some of the reasons for the strike.
Dr. Okwara frowned at what he described as constant harassment of his members who were in private practice with outrageous taxes and levies imposed by agents of the government.
Dr. Okwara called for the immediate payment of the COVID-19 special allowance to doctors who were among the frontline workers during the pandemic.
He warned that doctors at the Federal Medical Centre Owerri would join the strike if the action lingered till next week while those in private practice would follow suit thereafter to press home their demand.
Dr. Okwara said the strike became necessary following the failure to get the commitment of the government to address the issues raised by NMA.
Doctors in state health facilities had on November 24, 2020 embarked on industrial action, a situation that had made residents to cry for urgent resolution of the impasse.