Doctors begin indefinite strike over salary in Nasarawa

Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura

Medical doctors in Nasarawa State have embarked on an indefinite strike over payment of salaries.

Dr. Friday Omolei, Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association and Secretary, Dr Peter Attah, said at a news briefing on Friday in Lafia.

The doctors said that the strike was due to alleged government’s failure to correct their salaries in tandem with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the association had issued a one-week strike notice to the state government on May 26.

Omolei said the association took the “painful” decision, as the government had failed to respond to the doctors demand since 2014.

The chairman said that the association was open to dialogue, but would not return to work until its demands were met.

“From January 2016 till date, there has been mass exodus of doctors from the employment of Nasarawa state government due to poor remuneration and high tax regime.

“So far, 43 doctors have left since January this year while 17 others have applied to disengage from the state government employment,” he said.

NAN reports that other issues that prompted the strike include non promotion of some doctor for upward of 14 years, and their demand for allocation of 15 per cent of the state budget to the health sector.

The state Commissioner of Health, Dr Daniel Iya, who was not in his office as of the time of filing the report, did not respond to calls and text messages to his mobile phone.