Lagos Doctors Suspend Strike For Two Weeks

 Dr. Muyiwa Odusote

Striking Lagos doctors who were unexpectedly ‘sacked’ by the Lagos State Government on the accusation of ‘misconduct and absence from duty without leave’, have resolved to resume work tomorrow Wednesday, giving the government two weeks to address the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) agreement between them.
The doctors, whose industrial action had attracted the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Gas workers as well as Federal Health workers into solidarity and sympathy strike actions, had refused to resume work since the government said it recalled them last Thursday.
In a press statement on Saturday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had directed all the Resident Doctors and the Health workers who joined in the sympathy strike to resume work without delay, while backing the decision of the sacked doctors not to resume until there is a formal letter of recall.
Dr. Muyiwa Odusote, the Lagos branch of the Medical Guild, insisted that the doctors could not be fools for two times on reaching “gentleman” or undocumented agreement with the government. “We trusted them before and we thought they were sincere. But now, whatever we must agree with them must be duly signed by them and us. If the Government is sure about the reinstatement, then, let them give us letters to that effect. We can’t just go back to work like that,” he told us earlier.
The Health Service Commission [HSC] had engaged the doctors since Monday, serving individual sacked doctors reinstatement letters.  But with the letters not mentioning the CONMESS policy that bred the crisis in the first instance, the doctors today resolved to return to work for two weeks within which the Lagos State Government must address it.
“If after these two weeks the Government still does not say anything”, announced Dr. Saheed Babajide, President of the Resident Doctors LASUTH Chapter, “we shall give them a final three weeks ultimatum”.
Meanwhile, the NMA has encouraged doctors in other States of the federation which are yet to implement the CONMESS to begin to press their employers for same.
At last Saturday’s press conference, the President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, advised doctors across the federation to “use the strike option, if need be” in demanding for the implementation of the CONMESS agreement in their various States of employment.