By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
The Oyo State Hospitals’ Management Board Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) began an indefinite strike on Wednesday over unmet demands.
The chairman of NUAHP, Oyo State Council, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe, announced at a news conference in Ibadan that the action followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the Oyo State Government.
According to him, the ultimatum, which took effect on Oct. 13 and elapsed at midnight on Tuesday, was without any intervention.
He said the union had on three occasions aborted planned industrial actions following appeals from Commissioners for Health, Chairman of Hospitals Management Board, and Heads of Service.
He said immediately the appeals were considered, issues returned to status quo, as promises made were not fulfilled.
“As a union of responsible professionals, it is not in our habit to abandon our clients, but the situation has reached the elastic limit of our members’ patience,” Olabampe said.
He said if those caring for others were neglected, abandoned and marginalised in welfare and legitimate entitlements, consequences were bound to follow.
“We have decided to take our destinies into our hands to fight in solidarity until our demands are met and backed up with relevant circulars,” he said.
Olabampe said the major outstanding demands include payment of teaching allowance to officers on Level 12 and above, as provided in the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), adopted by Oyo State.
He said nurses and doctors in the state service have been receiving the allowance since 2015, while NUAHP members who teach students from universities and health technology schools were denied.
He mentioned the implementation of skipping CONHESS 10 (Grade Level 11), an incentive recently approved for medical officers in Oyo State and implemented by federal institutions since 2017, as another demand.
The chairman also listed the restoration of call duty allowance for dental therapists, which was stopped about 10 years ago without any stated reason.
He said despite many submissions of supporting documents, all efforts to restore the allowance yielded no fruit.
Olabampe said for three consecutive promotion exercises, medical laboratory scientists and radiographers in the state civil service have been denied due promotions on different grounds.
He listed other demands as the implementation of the peculiar allowance and uniform (ward coat) allowance, approved by the Federal Ministry of Health but never implemented in Oyo State.
The union also demanded review of hospitals’ operational guidelines and documents to include NUAHP members who form the bulk of professionals and generate over 70 per cent of revenue in management committees.
“We demand that the Oyo State House of Assembly review the document to include our members in the management committee and other relevant committees,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NUAHP members comprise the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Oyo State Physiotherapy Association, and the Association of Dental Technologists.
Other members include the Nigerian Dental Therapists Association, Medical Social Workers, Radiographers, Nutritionists and Dietitians, and Health Information Management Practitioners.
While calling on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government, Olabampe said all members across the state have been directed to withdraw their services until further notice.
“We are not unmindful of the far-reaching effects this decision will have on our teaming patients and clients, but this has come as our last resort after several communications, consultations and deliberations yielded no good fruit.
“We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians, especially Oyo State residents, to please prevail on the government of Oyo State, in order for our demands to receive the kind attention they deserve.
“What is good for the goose is also sauce for the gander. We say no to partial implementation of policies and segregation in Oyo health sector,” he said. (NAN)
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