The Abia State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA will today – June 28 – observe strike over non-payment of the salaries of doctors in the Abia State Teaching Hospital in Aba, as well as the Hospital Management Board.
Rising from its 62nd Annual General Conference and Delegate meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the national leadership of the NMA directed doctors in Abia State to proceed on indefinite strike every Tuesday for one month, and if the government fails to respond after one month of strike, more serious interventions would be deployed.
The marching orders were given through a letter addressed to the Abia State chapter of NMA and jointly signed by the National President of NMA, Dr Uche Ojinmah; and the Secretary, Dr Jide Onyekwelu.
“At the Annual General Conference and Delegates Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA held at the EUI Center, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, it was resolved that all doctors in Abia State should immediately proceed on an indefinite strike every Tuesday till their salaries are paid.
“This is necessitated by the fact that doctors at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital were owed 25 months’ salary while those at the Hospital Management Board are owed 11 months’ salary with no hope of resolution in sight,” the letter states.
A statement by Abia NMA noted amongst others, that the ”NMA Abia State branch during its 2022 Ordinary General Meeting held on Sunday, June 19, 2022, declared every Tuesday of the week strike in all public and private health facilities in the State in accordance with the National directive with effect from Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
The State Chairman of NMA, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu; and Secretary, Dr Robinson Ugwuanyi, in the statement stated that ” the action will be reviewed after one month by the National body for a possible escalation
Two months ago, the National Universities Commission (NUC) withdrew its accreditation to ABSUTH citing inadequacies and protracted strike by its staff.