Senate Intervenes in Doctors Strike, Urges NMA To End Action

SAN FRANCISCO, July 08, (THEWILL) - The Senate on Tuesday appealed to striking members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to return to work in the interest of patients.

The doctors had last week embarked on an indefinite strike over poor welfare amongst other complaints.

The appeal resolution was sequel to a point of order raised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who drew the attention of senators to the ongoing strike by the NMA.

According to him, members of the Senate Health Committee had met with the national executive of the NMA with a view towards resolving the impasse.

Okowa told senators that the technical committee of the NMA held a marathon meeting with the Senate Health Committee, during which the leadership of the striking doctors appealed to its members in the specialist health institutions to resume work.

He said while the NMA members in the tertiary health institutions had since resumed at their duty posts, the overall body had yet to start attending to patients.

The Senator however assured the Senate that his committee would continue to mediate in the industrial logjam until all the grey areas are resolved and the strike is completely called off.

Responding, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, appealed to the doctors to consider the plight of the patients and go back to work.

He reminded the doctors that their primary duty was to save lives, urging them to resume duty immediately considering the essential responsibility they have to the people.

EMMA UCHE, ABUJA