TheNewsGuru

Tag: Federal Ministry of Health

  • Just In: ‘Wahala’ looms as FG declares Resident Doctors strike illegal

    Just In: ‘Wahala’ looms as FG declares Resident Doctors strike illegal

    … says no work no pay

    The Federal Government has warned members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to shelve their planned five-day warning strike, describing it as illegal.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, issued the warning today shortly after receiving a letter from the NARD executive notifying him of the impending industrial action, billed to commence midnight today, May 16, 2023.

    Reacting to the letter, dated May 16, 2023 and delivered to his office at about 5pm same day, Ngige said on receiving the letter, he contacted the Minister of Health, who informed him that a meeting has been scheduled by his office with the resident doctors on Wednesday, May 17.

    He therefore advised the doctors to avail themselves of the opportunity for social dialogue with their employer, rather than embark on a warning strike, which is unknown to the law.

    He said, “I will advise them to attend the meeting with the Minister of Health tomorrow. I will also advise them very strongly not to go on five-day warning strike. There is nothing like warning strike. A strike is a strike.

    “If they want to take that risk, the options are there. It is their decision. They have the right to strike. You cannot deny them that right. But their employer has another right under Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, to withhold their pay for those five days.

    “So, if the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, no problem. The Health Minister will instruct the teaching hospitals to employ adhoc people for those five days and they will use the money of the people who went on strike to pay the adhoc doctors. That is the ILO principles at decent work, especially for those rendering essential services. Lives should be protected. One of my sons is a resident doctor. I will advise him to go to work and sign the attendance register. The people seen at work are the ones to receive their pay. If you don’t work, there will be no pay.”

    Commenting on the five demands of the doctors, Ngige said the Federal Government lacks the powers to compel the states to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Fund, since health is in the residual list, where both the federal and state governments have the powers to legislate.

    According to him, the job of the Federal Government is to make policy and where the states disagree, they are at liberty to make their own policy.

    He added that the federal government cannot bully the states into domesticating the MRTF if they do not want to.

    Regarding the issue of immediate payment of the MRTF to their members, he said it was appropriated in the 2023 budget, but has not been released, as the 2022 budget was still running, adding that those in 2022 have all been paid.

    He denied the claim by NARD that the Federal Government did not pay minimum wage consequential adjustment arrears to their members, saying that all workers in the Education and Health Sectors, and even the defence agencies benefited from the adjustment.

    He noted that the doctors cannot declare nationwide strike because some states were owing their members, pointing out that the federal government cannot also dabble into the issue, being a state matter.

    Similarly, he said the Federal Government as the Executive arm of government cannot intervene in the bill at the National Assembly to bond doctors for five years, as it is a private member’s bill.

    According to him, any intervention by the executive on the matter impinges on the autonomy and independence of the legislative arm of government.

    Ngige said although the bill has passed through first and second reading, he was sure it would be shot down at the public hearing, since the law prohibits forced labour.

    He advised the doctors not to talk about 200 percent pay rise, as it was not feasible, adding that “besides all the government has done for doctors and other workers in the health sector, such as upward review of hazard allowances, the Nigeria Medical Association was already negotiating with the Federal Ministry of Health, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Presidential Committee on Salaries on pay rise for doctors.

  • Buhari appoints Bupwatda as JUTH CMD

    Buhari appoints Bupwatda as JUTH CMD

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Dr Pokop Bupwatda as the new Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

    This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Mr Ahmadu Chindaya, the Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations Unit, Federal Ministry of Health.

    Chindaya said that Bupwatda’s appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.

    The letter said the appointment was with effect from Aug. 30, 2022 and would run for an initial tenure of four years.

    Presenting the letter to Bupwatda, the minister charged him to strive to add value to the facility in order to improve the economy and also justify the confidence reposed in him by the president.

    “The health sector is a key sector of the economy, you should strive to improve on the health facility in your domain, take more responsibility to improve the economy and the condition of the teaching hospital,’’ Ehanire said.

    The statement quoted the new CMD as expressing his appreciation to Buhari for finding him worthy and also assured him that he would not disappoint the nation.

    He pledged to work with all stakeholders to improve the hospital’s lot.

  • Monkeypox: Avoid eating monkeys, bush meat, FG warns Nigerians

    The Federal Ministry of Health has advised Nigerians to desist from eating monkeys, bush meat and dead animals as doing so could make one susceptible to the Monkeypox Disease.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Public Relations at the ministry, Mrs. Boade Akinola, on Thursday.

    Adewole said the disease neither had a cure nor a vaccine. He, however, said there was no cause for alarm as it was mild.

    The statement read in part, “He said that the virus was mild and there was no known treatment and no preventive vaccines hence the public should be at alert and avoid crowded places as much as possible

    “He advised the public to avoid eating dead animals, bush meat and particularly bush monkeys.”

    The minister also revealed that test samples had been sent to the World Health Organisation in Senegal but the result was not yet out.

    The statement added, “Prof. Adewole said although Monkeypox could not be confirmed until laboratory investigations by WHO referral laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, he noted that Monkeypox was milder and had no record of mortality.

    “The symptoms include headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox.

    He said the disease was a viral illness by a group of viruses that included chickenpox and smallpox.

    “Investigation is still ongoing and our partners are working with us on this reported outbreak’ while the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control team in Bayelsa State would give support,” the statement said.