Medical activities in Nigeria are set to face severe disruptions as the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) begins a seven-day warning strike starting Monday, November 18, 2024. The strike, which will affect 83 health facilities and 64 medical schools nationwide, was declared due to unresolved issues with the Federal Government.
Scope of Strike
The MDCAN National President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed in an interview that the strike would involve all public universities, teaching hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, and state-owned specialist hospitals.
“All the universities owned by the federal and state governments with medical schools are going to be affected,” Prof. Muhammad stated.
This includes:
- 42 fully accredited medical schools
- 11 partially accredited medical schools
- 9 fully accredited dental schools
- 2 partially accredited dental schools
Issues Leading to Strike
In a communique released last Thursday, MDCAN expressed frustration over the government’s inaction on several key demands:
- Retirement Age Harmonisation: A call to extend the retirement age of medical and dental consultants to 70 years to address the effects of brain drain and workforce shortages.
- Payment Discrepancies: The implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical lecturers to resolve shortfalls in their emoluments, entry levels, and pension contributions.
- Leadership Selection Process: Discontent over alleged irregularities in the Vice-Chancellor selection process at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. MDCAN accused the university’s Governing Council Chair of bypassing due process despite federal directives.
- Unpaid Allowances: The association demands the immediate payment of clinical duty allowance arrears for 2023 and 2024, as well as 25%/35% CONMESS arrears for 2023.
Strike Timeline and Further Actions
The strike will run from 12:00 midnight, Monday, November 18, 2024, to 12:00 midnight, Sunday, November 24, 2024. MDCAN has scheduled a meeting for the evening of November 24 to evaluate progress and decide on further action.
The communique, signed by Prof. Muhammad and MDCAN Secretary-General, Prof. Daiyabu Ibrahim, highlighted the association’s frustrations with the government, stating:
“The NEC demands that the FG immediately relieve the Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University of his appointment for his insubordination.”
Call for Structural Changes
MDCAN also urged the Federal Government to:
- Develop a prototype for Vice-Chancellor advertisements, using Ahmadu Bello University’s recent example.
- Implement universal payment of CONMESS to all medical and dental officers nationwide.
- Address systemic issues affecting healthcare services, training, and research capacity.
Potential Impact
With critical healthcare and academic institutions affected, the strike poses a significant risk to medical training, patient care, and research activities across Nigeria. The MDCAN has urged the government to act swiftly to resolve these issues and prevent further industrial action.
