Osun Doctors: When The Deliverer Needs Deliverance
Someone asked “what is it about Osun these days, one could hardly hear good news from there, except the news of poverty, unrest, strikes, protest, deaths and all manner of civil complains”this time around, it’s the turn of the most delicate aspect of people’s life, HEALTH.
In an ideal society, it is very unusual for health workers to go on strike; it’s like the custodian of security walking away from duty, like life-giver shutting out from life. In this same state, almost every sector had gone on strike one time or the other, teachers, civil servant, lawyers, radio/television shut down, students protests is a regular occurrence, even pensioners have march on the street, we can authoritatively conclude the whole state has one way or the other marched against the government, state of chaos, climate of poverty, harshness and strive, little children have marched, secondary school students have marched, higher institution students have marched, society people have marched, civil servant had abandoned their jobs, even elders and the aged (Awon Agba Osun) have also marched. I see it as the era of enlightenment in Osun, because when the stakes are high, there surely must be a show down, this is part of demo’crazy, but there is a sector that should by any means not go on strike….
HEALTH WORKERS
For many reasons that are still in the archives, the government of Aregbesola, claimed to have approved and probably spent hundreds of millions on health sector, according to interview granted by the former commissioner for health, Dr (Mrs) Temitope ilori, the health sector of the state is in a very good shape, with necessary collaboration with organizations like Nigeria Medical Associations (NMA) and others, what we are not told is that the facilities and the personnel are not only short rationed, but also short-changed of their deserved remuneration, how would you describe a hard-working Medical Doctor who for some time earn only thirty (30%) percent of his salary and still pays a tax that double the tax of his colleagues in other states who earn the actual amounts, you wonder why? And why we have not heard anything since, well the civil service code is that hanger that will hangs the neck of any civil servant that speaks out, but when you push people to the wall, they speak out, that’s why we are privy to the real issues at stake.
EFFECTS OF THE ON-GOING STRIKE.
To start with, the ongoing strike is a pointer to the fact that “Free Health Programme” of the incumbent government of Osun is nothing but a scam, scam? Yeah, in the state of Osun today, poor people are dying, especially people who’s mind has been programmed for freebie, the sad demise of the honourable representing Ife-north constituency (igwe) reveal the moribund state of the health sector in Osun, the Man died in one hospital in Ekiti state, the question is; what about those hospitals in Osun, a friend told me, that he was in Ondo when one patient was brought to receive treatment with OSUN STATE GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL AMBULANCE, I wonder again what we are celebrating in their free health policy. People had rather result to different means to help themselves since the government could not help. Even as I am writing this, The Only State University Of Osun State Which Boast Of Training Medical Doctors And Health Workers DOES NOT HAVE A TEACHING HOSPITAL! Osun government—we hail thee!!
WHAT DOES THE DOCTORS WANT?
I was invited as a guest on rave 91.7fm, the issue to be discussed of course was the issue of the striking Doctors, there I saw the leadership of the Osun state association of medical practitioners (OSANDO) and an immediate past commissioner of the state, yes I had a serious argument with them all, but after the program while holding a tete-a-tete in the premise of the radio station, a lot were revealed.
Being a medical doctor in our world is a ticket to untold hardship on good authority, since the incumbent government advent in Osun, there has been No Confirmation of Appointment, No Promotion for deserving personnel, nor Conversion and of course in recent months, No Salary!!!!!
What a life, sticking your own life down to the grave so the government could receive the applause, working hard without motivation, even the scriptures says “a laborer is worthy of his wage” those who get appointed even before the advent of this administration were not confirm, so we now have a long list of unconfirmed government workers in this state whose future in the service is bleak, part of whom had just being sacked, and the rest whom are being threaten day by day with sack letters. we have doctors who themselves need medical (psychosomatic) attention, when the body is sick it can been treated by the doctors, when the head is affected, it can be treated by specialized doctors, But When It Affect The Head, Brain And Mental Health Of The Doctors Themselves, then The Deliverer Is In Dire Need Of Deliverance, the question is WHO WILL DELIVER THE DELIVERER???
The Osun state government till today is saying it does not owe salary at all, yet there are backlog of unpaid salaries, half salary payment, quarter salary payment for doctors without promise to pay the remaining outstanding or arrears as they call it. The government also claimed to have discussed with NLC, on behalf of the workers, but close observers and analysts know that Doctors either in NMA, OSANDO or A.R.D have never been part of NLC, of course this couldn’t have been a punishment for not belonging, to join a union is not by force, especially that which has been fraught with high level betrayal and dishonesty to just cause. The doctors insist that these bodies (which include JNC & NLC) have never met and can never meet the government on their behalf.
That the medical doctors everywhere in the country do not belong to the NLC is a well-known fact and so for Osun Government to assume that any agreement made with the NLC is binding on a group who belongs to a different association is sign of oppression and insincerity on the part of Osun state Government especially when there has been record of independent communications and interactions with these Medical doctors.
Any follower of events in the country, particularly with regards to health, will be aware that a corrected CONSOLIDATED MEDICAL SALARY STRUCTURE (CONMESS) for the payments of doctors has been in effect since 1st Jan 2015 with arrears paid and steps being taken to capture same in 2016 budget where there have been issues in other parts of the country for medical practitioners who work with either the Federal or State Governments. For doctors in Osun to ask to be paid like their peers cannot be said to be too much. Health care services cannot be segregated! What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. It’s important to reiterate that the state runs “Free Health” Care Services Which Brings So Much Stress on Her Facilities. Presently, The Facilities Are Understaffed With Medical Practitioners Who Are Usually Augmented By NYSC Doctors Having To Do More Than Is Required As The Government No Longer Recruits Doctors Into Its Health Facilities. IF THERE IS ANY CATEGORY OF DOCTORS THAT SHOULD ENJOY “CONMESS”, IT SHOULD BE OSUN MEDICAL DOCTORS. To Continue To Receive Irregular And Fractionated Salaries In The Face Of Increase Workload Is Certainly Not Good For The Health Of Our Doctors, Custodians Of The Health Of The People! My biggest fear for now is that DOCTORS THAT ARE NOT WELL REMUNERATED AND REGULARLY PAID CANNOT BE SAID TO BE HEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE.
It is on record that Osun state government has been paying doctors 30% of salary since June 2015 and up to September 2015 only. Thank God the NMA is supporting this struggle, I appeal to the government to rescind this decision to avert more disaster, and the strike of the doctors is legitimate.
Rather than seek ways to make peace and calm the doctors down, the state government subscribe to intimidation and spurious verbal attack, threatening to mass sack the doctors, Osun state government eventually show the level of hypocrisy that it has delved itself to by advertising for vacant positions when the positions are not really vacant insinuating mass sack of all medical doctors practising under Osun government . This is very sad.
At the radio program where I share the studio with them, I REMEMBER THE DOCTORS SAYING THEY ARE READY TO GO BACK TO WORK PROVIDED THE STATE GOVERNMENT WILL AGREE ON PAPER THAT THE BALANCE OF THEIR SALARIES WILL BE PAID, the government refused, I was disturbed, so all the half salaries that Osun government have been paying since have become the legitimate salary, they should not expect the rest, No, this is a deliberate way of cheating on the working people of the state.
I call on people of goodwill to come to the rescue of our health system in Osun, as people are now going out of the state to receive treatment while some never come back alive (the case of Igwe and others)
It’s Really A State Of Chaos, A Society Of Harshness And Strives. May God heal our Land!
Written By, CHARLES ADEYEMI.
President and CEO, THE LEADERSHIP FACTORY.