Anambra doctors embark on indefinite strike over salary structure

Medical Doctors in Anambra State, under the aegis of Conference of Civil Service Doctors, have embarked on indefinite strike action over alleged failure of the state government to adhere to the agreement signed with the Union.

Speaking to newsmen at General Hospital Onitsha, on Monday, the State Chairman, Dr Livinus Chukwuma, said the strike was necessitated by the failure of the state government to adhere to the agreement signed with the Civil Service Doctors and Nigerian Medical Association NMA, on one part and the Government of Anambra State on the other”.

He recalled that doctors in the state had earlier embarked on 13 months strike action due to the failure of the state government to accept the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, as prescribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as the standard for all doctors in the federal civil services.

He noted that the strike was called off after intervention from eminent persons and an agreement reached and MoU signed which stipulated that the government would periodically review the salaries until 100 per cent was achieved, starting from 50 per cent.

He said that the Federal Government in 2014 reviewed the CONMESS ups, which up till today, the Anambra state government has refused to follow sued.

He explains that the doctors in the state were disheartened because they were least paid doctors in Nigeria as the state government has failed to keep to its part of the bargain.

“We regret the consequences of the strike action especially to patients as it is inevitable, he concluded.