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Health Workers Strike: JOHESU accuses doctors, health ministry of sabotage, insincerity
The National Chairman of JOHESU, Biobebelemoye Josiah, has alerted the public on purported efforts by Nigerian doctors to frustrate ongoing talks to end the four-week-old strike embarked upon by the union.
Mr Josiah, who raised the alarm when he fielded questions from journalists in Abuja, also accused the Ministry of Health of collaborating with the doctors in suppressing JOHESU’s legitimate demands from the government.
They may not yet know its name but the next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins’ Center for Health Security, United States (U.S.).
They developed the outline as part of a framework to help scientists and policymakers prepare for the next emerging, catastrophic threat.
NMA Urges FG to Declare JOHESU Illegal, Warns Unions Against Assaulting Doctors
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has asked the Federal Government to declare the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) illegal, saying its action is a gang-up against Nigerians. The association described JOHESU as an unholy alliance set up for the purpose of sabotaging the genuine effort to ensure lasting peace and development of the country’s health sector.Hypertension killing more people than any other condition – Prof. Omotoso
Ahead of World Hypertension Day 2018, distinguished Consultant Cardiologist, Professor Ayodele Omotoso has alerted on the increasing prevalence of hypertension (high blood pressure) in the country, warning that hypertension is now the number-one risk factor for death globally.
Speaking at the 4th Novartis International Cardiovascular Summit held recently in Lagos at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Prof. Omotoso alerted that hypertension is now ahead of tobacco, high cholesterol, unhealthy weight, unsafe sex and other conditions as a risk factor for global mortality, adding that recent research has shown the disease is now a leading risk factor for poor health.
The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has attributed the Federal Government’s ‘slow pace’ towards implementing its demands to the recent threat by doctors.
The union also accused the Health Minister, Isaac Adeowle, of posing a ‘body language’ that militates against resolving the impasse. JOHESU, an association of health workers except doctors, has been on strike for a month.
The Ministry of Health on Thursday warned that Congo’s Ebola outbreak has entered “a new phase” after a case of the deadly virus was detected for the first time in the northwest city of Mbandaka, with a population of about one million people.
So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak had been detected in more isolated areas, giving authorities a better chance of ring-fencing the virus.
For Nigerians to enjoy better healthcare delivery, government at all levels have been urged to ensure improved access to facilities at the primary healthcare level by the citizens. A global leader in the health technology, Royal Philips, made the appeal recently in Lagos during the unveiling of a survey, which indicated that 36 percent of Nigerians believe that their healthcare needs were being met by the current country’s health system.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank Group on Thursday launched the joint Global Preparedness Monitoring Board to observe how ready the world is to tackle outbreaks and pandemics, the WHO said in a statement.
“The board will be co-chaired by Dr Gro Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former WHO Director-General, and Mr Elhadj As-Sy, Secretary-General of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, has employed ad hoc staff to augment the gaps create by the ongoing nationwide JOHESU strike. Arikawe Adeolu, the branch President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), FMC Jabi, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Mr. Adeolu explained that the management of the hospital engaged the temporary workers to assist medical doctors in carrying out their duties in all departments of the center.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government had no agreement with the striking members of the Joint Health Sector Union. Adewole said this in an interview with State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
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The Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) have called for the sack of the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole over the lingering strike in the health sector.
Doctors, pharmacists disagree on consultancy cadre approval for health workers
There appears to be no end in sight to the recent imbroglio between doctors and pharmacists in Nigeria. Pharmacists under the aegis of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria (PSN) Lagos branch have condemned the doctors’ that is the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) position on the recent Lagos State government circular on consultant pharmacist cadre and demands by striking health workers on the relativity of salaries.
Health workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have been on industrial action since April 18, 2018, following the inability of the Federal Government to meet their demands, which include approval of consultancy cadre for other health personnel besides medical doctors and making their salaries relative to that of the physicians.
The incorporated trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International on Wednesday made true its threat to commence contempt suit against top officials of the Joint Health Sector Union for allegedly disobeying an order of the court directing them to suspend their ongoing strike.
A contempt suit prescribes imprisonment as a penalty for disobedience to a court order.
Doctors abandoned to run hospitals in wake of the ongoing strike by health workers have accused members of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) of frustrating their attempts to function during the strike.
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) accused JOHESU members of locking up clinical service points and equipment to press home their “spurious” demands.
