The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Federal Government, through the Medical Dental Council of Nigeria, to effect the increment on their salaries that was promised them, News About Nigeria reports.
The president of the association, Uche Ojinmah, made this call on Monday, disclosing that since the increment was promised in July 2023, it has not been implemented.
The Medical Association also threatened to withdraw its services across health institutions in the country if the Federal Government fails to implement the upward review of the consolidated medical salary structure by January 31, 2024.
Ojinmah noted that this was the stand of the association while reacting to a directive by the Medical Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, warning practitioners against strike actions.
Recall that the MDCN, which is the statutory body responsible for the regulation, control, and discipline of medical practitioners and dental surgeons, in a letter dated January 4, 2024, warned doctors not to send out patients when embarking on industrial actions.
The MDCN also maintained that accidents and other emergency paediatrics units must remain open and manned by practitioners who have been scheduled to do so.
However, the President of the Medical Association stated that the MDCN has no right to tell doctors how to defend themselves in the event of a strike, maintaining that the regulation of medical practice by the MDCN was not practical.
He added that the personnel who wanted to handle emergencies for the MDCN have not been paid their salaries and were not expected to handle emergencies with empty stomachs.
He maintained that doctors would do everything they could to protect themselves and urged the MDCN to write to the current administration to pay what they promised if the council did not want any disruptions.
