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THE era of resorting to strike to settle trade disputes by medical doctors seems to be going out of the profession, as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which regulates the industry, on Friday issued new conditions doctors must meet before they can down tools.
Under the new dispensation, doctors embarking on a strike must first look for and hand over their patients to competent and qualified persons to continue with treatment.
Also, medical associations itching for a strike must inform the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the MDCN and secure their approval before withdrawing the services of its members.
The Council also axed some medical schools by withdrawing accreditation to them for indulging in unethical practices.
It also directed that henceforth, any Nigerian that loses a relation due to strikes declared by doctor(s) to petition the regulatory for disciplinary action
At a press briefing in Abuja, MDCN Chairman, Prof. Roger Makanjuola, who reeled out the new guidelines, said henceforth, “no branch medical association can go on unilateral action without obtaining the permission of the national body of the NMA and that of the Council.”
Providing more insights into the new order, he declared that doctors must ensure that they hand over the care of their patients to qualified hands before proceeding on an industrial action when it is absolutely necessary.
Makanjuola said under the new rules, emergency and accident departments must remain opened even when strike is ongoing.
He stressed: “The Hippocratic Oath, which are: ‘the health of my patient shall be my first consideration’ and ‘I will maintain the utmost respect for human life’ are two components of the Hippocratic oaths. They are clearly in conflict with the strikes we now face.
“If we do not intend to abide by the Hippocratic oath, then we should stop swearing to it. We need to remember the great loss of life and tremendous human suffering that accompany any strike action.
“Before any affiliates at national, state or local levels can embark on strike, the national body of the NMA must approve such actions. The aggrieved party must follow laid down procedures, as contained in the constitution of the NMA.
“An industrial action must also meet the conditions prescribed in the extant Code of Medical Ethics in Nigeria approved by the MDCN.”
Makanjuola hinted that the Council had sanctioned 11 medical institutions for either admitting students above their capacity or lacking the required human capacity to teach medical courses and their accreditation will be restored only when they have restored these standards.
The disciplinary actions, he acknowledged, resulted in them taking action to rectify deficiencies and restore standards, and those institutions are better for it.
“Also, all the training institutions now know that we mean business and are striving to ensure that they adhere to the standards that the people of our nation deserve,” he added.
And in Benin City, the Edo State capital, a coalition of civil societies, Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGOS), and the state chapter of NMA on Friday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to as matter of urgency assent to the National Health Bill, which has generated controversy in the medical profession.
Addressing journalists at the state secretariat of the NMA, the chairman of the association, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, lamented the dearth of neurosurgeons in hospitals in the country when adding Nigerian doctors were excelling abroad.
“Nigeria’s healthcare industry is one of the greatest paradoxes of the modern world. While Nigeria has the most cerebral, most intelligent and hardworking professionals in the healthcare system, most of them are working and excelling outside than in the country.
“Today, Nigeria has only nine resident neurosurgeons to take care of spinal cord related disorders and aliments of 150 million citizens, whereas one hospital in Sheffield, United Kingdom (UK) has more than 20 neurosurgeons,” he bemoaned.
Ugbodaga said successive governments in Nigeria had abandoned the health sector, adding: “The hearts of Nigerian people bleed that in spite of the enormous resources available to this country, our people continue to lack efficient, effective and affordable healthcare at all levels. '
“While we commend the National Assembly for the patriotism (albeit belatedly) in passing the National Health Bill at the twilight of the 6th legislature, we decry the disinterest of the President to assent to the bill as passed.
“We are yet to make any significant improvement in the area of maternal and child-health, as life expectancy at birth of Nigerians is below 50 years and doctor-to-population ratio is three per 10,000, compared to the United States (U.S.), which stands at 26 per 10,000.
“We are currently not on track in meeting the health-related aspects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, as the scourge of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS is not abating.
“Our people continue to experience avoidable deaths and they continue to die of treatable illnesses, which is unacceptable,” he noted.
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