By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City
Edo state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that it would begin a three-day warning strike from November 10, 2017, over the government refusal to fix “problems” confronting the health sector.
The association stated that the warning strike would afterwards lead to shutdown of the health sector in the state following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum earlier issued to the state government.
Secretary of the NMA, Dr Harrison Omokhua, disclosed this after an emergency meeting of the NMA which, according to him, was presided over by the Chairman, Dr Osaigbovo Emmanuel.
Omokhua lamented what he described as lack of man power and inadequate health facilities confronting the sector.
The NMA scribe also decried alleged non-employment of health workers in Government hospitals since 2012, just as he demanded explanation about plans for the new hospital that was built by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration.
He said the explanation became expedient because, according to him, “it (the hospital complex) is not being used when we are lacking facilities.”
“We have tried to see how we can get the governor to discuss the issues but no response,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Health, Dr David Osifo, described the NMA ultimatum as “hasty.”
He disclosed that the government had identified the problems in the sector and were confronting them head on.
