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The Medical and Dental Council Of Nigeria has warned doctors against denying patients access to health care services during strike actions.
The PUNCH reports that 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.
PUNCH reports that 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 PUNCH reports that 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.
