Damilola Aina
The Medical and Dental Council Of Nigeria has warned doctors against denying patients access to health care services during strike actions.The MDCN is the statutory body for the regulation and
control of the training, practice, and discipline of medical practitioners and
dental surgeons in Nigeria.
The registrar of the MDCN, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, disclosed
this in a letter dated January 4, 2024, and addressed to the Committee of Chief
Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical
Centres, and Specialised Hospitals.
The registrar said the new rule is based on the recent
penchant of registered practitioners to engage in industrial action including
strikes to enforce their labour rights.
The letter titled, “Conduct of Registered Medical
Practitioners and Dental Surgeons in Hospitals during Strikes” obtained by our
correspondent on Monday, noted that the abysmal conduct of shutting down the
health sector has brought disrepute to the medical professions and will no
longer be acceptable.
According to the letter, patients on admission must not be
discharged merely because of a strike action.
It added that accidents and other emergency paediatrics
units must remain open and manned by practitioners who had been scheduled on
roasters based on the provisions of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act
Cap M8 LFN 2004.
The letter read, “The prevalent practice where hospital
patients are precipitously discharged from or denied access to wards, emergency
units, labour rooms, etc on account of strike actions is not acceptable.
“While conceding that registered practitioners are entitled
to demand and obtain their rights under the labour laws of Nigeria, the council
frowns at conduct that endangers the health-seeking public and could bring
disrepute to the medical and dental professions.
“Pursuant to the above, we wish to call the attention of the
Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors, and heads of healthcare
institutions who are registered practitioners, to the provisions of the Medical
and Dental Practitioners Act Cap M8 LFN 2004, in sections1 (2c), 15(3a), 16(2)
and Rules 45 and 50 of the Code of Medical Ethics in Nigeria 2008 Edition, the
import of which are:
“Patients on admission should not be discharged merely on
account of strike action: Accidents and Emergency, Emergency Paediatrics Unit,
Labour Ward/Room, Neonatal Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, and other points in
the hospital for providing emergency and critical care must remain open and
manned by practitioners who had been scheduled on roasters to man them.
“Patients who had been given appointments before the strike
must be attended to.”
The registrar further warned that administrative
practitioners will be held responsible and severely dealt with in case of any
violation.
“The registered practitioners in administrative charge of
hospitals as Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors or by whatever
designation, shall be held responsible for violation of these regulations by
registered practitioners deployed in the hospitals they are in charge of.
“You are requested to bring this correspondence to the
attention of all registered medical and dental practitioners who are your
employees including the residents,” the letter added.
The Nigerian Medical Association recently gave the Federal
Government till January 31, 2024, to meet its demands or risk industrial action
in the health sector.
The President of the NMA, Uche Ojinmah, who issued the
ultimatum at a press briefing on December 17, 2023, stated that the association
cannot guarantee industrial harmony after the ultimatum if the government fails
to meet its demands of the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary
Structure.
He also urged the government to implement the newly approved
accruement allowance with arrears from June 2022.
The workers in Nigeria’s civil service and health sector
often stage protests to drive home salient points over maltreatment, poor
welfare, unpaid salaries, or other packages.
The strike embarked upon by the National Association of
Resident Doctors during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari
resulted in a loss of 128 working days between 2016 and 2023.
Reports gathered that the doctors, under the leadership of
Dr Muhammad Askira, embarked on an 18-day strike in 2016.
In 2017, under the leadership of Dr John Onyebueze, resident
doctors went on at least 21 days of nationwide strike due to the failure of the
government to resolve the salary shortfall of 2016 and January to May 2017.
They also asked the government to regularise house officers’ entry points,
correct the stagnation of the promotion of members, and properly place them on
their appropriate grade level; among others.
In 2020, the doctors went on a one-week indefinite strike
amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The doctors requested for the provision of Personal
Protective Equipment for all health workers, immediate reversal of the
disengagement of 26 resident doctors in Jos University Teaching Hospital, and
the payment of all salaries owed them, in keeping with provisions of the
Medical Residency Training Act; among others.
Another strike by the association began on August 2, 2021,
and was suspended after 64 days.
The last by the union ended on May 22, 2023, after the Government promised to resolve its concerns. The PUNCH