ANAMBRA DOCTORS THREATEN FRESH STRIKE

Doctors under the aegis of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), Anambra State chapter, have warned the state government to either pay them the 22 per cent salary increase or face another round of industrial action.

They said that it is disheartening that Anambra, which is part of Nigeria, is yet to recognize the importance of healthcare delivery system, even as Nigeria has remained united in the past 50 years, despite all the crises that have bedeviled the country.

The doctors who spoke through their Secretary, Dr. Joe Uyamadu, threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the state government fails to implement the 22 percent, 12 percent, four percent and other salary increments due to them, which have been denied them for the past two years.

'We have submitted the Consolidated Medical Salary Scheme (CONMESS) documents to the state government and other relevant ministries and agencies, yet we have not been paid, but our colleagues in other states of the federation have started enjoying the new salary scale and even the new national salary increase which is based on percentage of what should be our current salary is being frustrated too.

'We equally missed the 22 per cent,12 per cent and 4 per cent salary increments to doctors and even the short life of CONTISS. And it is going to be a problem to calculate the new salary increase for us,' Uyamadu said.

'Government is always finding it difficult to pay when others are paying, in spite of the fact that we are the least paid in the whole federation,' Uyamadu lamented.

The doctors said that the attitude of the government towards their plight in the state is having very severe effect on health care delivery in the state that is supposed to be leading in the health sector.