National Union of Allied Health Professionals Tackle FG, NMA On Surgeon-General, CONMESS
The National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) yesterday warned the federal government to desist from making any plans to establish the Office of the Surgeon-General except the appointment to such office would be opened to all health officials of high standing and ranking. The union said in order to ensure an end to the recurring crisis by actors in the health sector, the federal government should convey an all encompassing stakeholders’ forum under impartial authority to solve all existing conflicts in the health sector. The NUAHP made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in Abuja, stating that: “The union is seriously opposed to the establishment of the office of Surgeon-General, especially if it is to be permanently occupied by a medical practitioner.”

The communiqué signed by NUAHP Chairman, Felix Faniran, also cautioned the presidency against appointing two ministers from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) extraction at the expense of other health professionals including JOHESU/AHPA members, “while the current health minister should resign or be re-assigned for peace to reign in the health sector.”The group further recommended that “to put an end to crisis in the health sector, government should allow a level playing field for all health workers rather than discriminatory practices while NMA and similar unregistered bodies should desist from illegal strikes and learn to comply with the laws of the land and relevant directives.“Yayale Ahmed Committee should conclude it assignment soonest and her report be implemented immediately. Team spirit and team work should be embraced by all health workers; patients’ interest rather than self interest be taken into account at all times and government should establish a level of trust and implement agreements promptly.”The group however warned that any attempt by government to allow skipping of CONMESS 3 for medical practitioners will trigger a serious crisis not only in the health sector but service wide.

NUAHP further maintained that: “If government approved skipping of CONMESS 3 for medical and dental practitioners, government should be prepared to do the same for other health professionals on CONHESS 11 which equals CONMESS 3.“It should however be noted that if government allows medicaland dental practitioners to skip CONMESS 2 which equal to CONHESS 10 or Civil Service HAPPS 11, it is quite in order because this has been approved by government since in the 80’s.”NUAHP, while commenting on other issues, reiterated that: “The NEC disagreed with the decision of the FMOH that only those qualified to register with medical and dental council of Nigeria could use the designation “Consultant”.“This is not only a ruse; it is false, incorrect, wrong and unacceptable. The circular of July 18 issued and signed by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Alhassan Khaliru, is improper and unauthorised.

The same circular contains paragraph 1.1 which is contradicted by 1.iv. That circular is null and void and highly contemptuous of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria Judgment of July 22, 2013, and should therefore be withdrawn immediately or corrected in the interest of justice and industrial peace.“We stand firmly on the provision of Teaching Hospital Act which vests the post on any “medically qualified” person. This phrase at section 5 (2a) of the act does not refer to medical practitioners only rather section 8 (6) of the same law gives interpretation to this section as it refers to medically qualified persons as; Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, Nurses, Midwives and others.

“Therefore, any advertorial for the post of CMD or MD of any hospital henceforth must make the post open to all healthcareprofessionals and not medical practitioners only otherwise our members shall protest vehemently to resist such action.”On residency training programme, NUAHP said: “We disagree with government in suspending the Residency programme for medical and dental practitioners because it was ill-timed but there is need for overhauling of the programme.

Therefore, we appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to review his current action but in doing so, the programme should be expanded to include other health professionals who are equally entitled to Residency training.”

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