By Chioma Obinna

Amid the faceoff between the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, and the Federal, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, has urged the government at all levels to address all lingering demands of Federal and State health workers holistically now to prevent avoidable looming industrial unrest in the health sector by all concerned unions, particularly, NUAHP.

In a press statement issued after a recent National Executive Council meeting of the Union signed by the National President, Comrade Obinna Ogbonna and the General Secretary, Comrade Martin Egbanubi said the union having been patient and patriotic enough would no longer guarantee industrial peace at various health facilities in the country if the lingering demands are not addressed by the government at all levels forthwith.

The Union in the statement maintained that government at all levels must urgently adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers in NUAHP- and Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU. 

They demanded the payment of April and May 2018 withheld salaries and other withheld salaries.

The Union further demanded the central placement of interns and payment of their arrears of salaries owed them, the immediate conclusion of negotiation and implementation of new hazard allowance for health workers. 

Other demands  are a firm directive from the Federal Ministry of health to various health institutions in the country to implement without further delay the  consultancy  cadre for pharmacists as approved and circularized by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, payment of specialist allowance to our deserving members, payment of backlog of owed salaries by concerned state governments to health workers in their various states, immediate restoration of hazard inducement allowance to our members working in Kaduna State and other states where it is not currently being paid.

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Also, they demanded the payment of skipping, promotion and other arrears owed, federal and state health workers most especially NUAHP-JOHESU members, immediate payment of arrears of salaries owed the state health workers in Abia State, immediate implementation of other matters contained in collective agreements and court judgments for health workers in NUAHP-JOHESU by Federal Government.

NUAHP critically appraised the state of the nation condemned in its entirety, the alarming rate of incessant killings, kidnapping and criminality that are constituting a great danger to the socio-economic wellbeing of workers especially health workers and other citizens of the country.

The Union further called on government at all levels to as a matter of urgency address all security related issues across the country.

“The union is seriously worried about the rate at which health professionals especially members of this Union are leaving the country for greener pasture abroad.

“The union urges Federal and State Governments to take urgent steps in this regard to address all demands of health workers with respect to welfare and overhauling of health infrastructures to save our nation from imminent shortage of manpower in the health sector and its attendant consequences on health care service delivery to the poor masses and other citizens of this country who cannot afford to travel outside the country to access healthcare.”

Vanguard News Nigeria