The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics has announced that 14 of its 17 branches have voted in favour of a three-day warning strike over unresolved welfare and remuneration issues affecting medical lecturers across the country.
Acting Secretary-General of NAMDA, Prof. Aniekan Peter, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Wednesday, accusing the Federal Government of failing to address the concerns of medical lecturers despite the growing shortage of academic doctors and the increasing impact of the “Japa” syndrome.
The industrial action, scheduled to begin on Tuesday next week, is expected to be total and comprehensive across medical schools, according to the association.
Peter, a professor of neuroanatomy at the University of Uyo’s Department of Health Sciences, said the decision to embark on the warning strike followed the failure of the government to respond adequately to issues repeatedly raised by the association.
He said, “14 NAMDA Branches have voted to embark on industrial action as directed by NEC. The warning strike is scheduled to commence Tuesday, next week, and will be total and comprehensive across medical schools in the country.”
According to him, the worsening migration of medical professionals has further reduced the number of medical lecturers available to train future doctors, yet the government has allegedly failed to address the conditions driving lecturers out of the country.
Among the issues listed by the association are the failure of the Federal Government, through the Ahmed Yahale Committee, to conclude negotiations on the conditions of service for medical lecturers.
NAMDA also cited the failure to formally document the payment of medical lecturers under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, as well as the alleged non-payment of the Medical and Clinical Academic Training Allowance, MCATA.
Other outstanding demands include the payment of Earned Academic Allowance, Excess Workload Allowance and Professorial Allowance.
Peter described the situation as unfortunate, particularly at a time when Nigeria is facing an acute shortage of medical lecturers.
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He questioned why lecturers who have chosen to remain in the country and contribute to the training of doctors should continue to face what he described as harsh working and economic conditions.
The NAMDA official appealed to the Federal Government to return to the negotiating table and resolve the outstanding issues before the planned strike begins.
He also criticised the government’s reported efforts to increase the number of doctors as a response to the shortage created by mass migration, arguing that increasing the number of medical students and doctors without strengthening the workforce responsible for training them would not solve the problem.
Peter insisted that the welfare and remuneration of medical lecturers must be prioritised if the country is serious about addressing its healthcare workforce crisis.
“We say no to slave wages for medical lecturers. Because of the Japa syndrome, the Federal Government appears determined to mass-produce doctors to address the shortage created by migration—yet the welfare and remuneration of the medical lecturers who train these doctors cannot be ignored,” he said.
“You cannot mass-produce doctors without investing in the doctors and medical lecturers who train them.”
The association’s planned warning strike could disrupt academic and clinical activities in medical schools nationwide if the Federal Government and NAMDA fail to reach an agreement before Tuesday.