nakedall:

Unfortunately, most of these doctors are not good enough in their profession; these are people killing patients without answering for their bad job but still demanding pay rise every day. Presently, they are receiving more than they really worth. A professional doctor that knows what is doing will not waste time with Mr. Fashola but look for another place. They are free to go. They will loose their job and doctors from other states will take the job immediately.
Mr. Fashola get rid of these crap and open the doors for others from other states.

Beaf:

Hmmm, even if doctors are paid more in these "other states?"

nakedall:

Unfortunately, most of these doctors are not good enough in their profession; these are people killing patients without answering for their bad job but still demanding pay rise every day. Presently, they are receiving more than they really worth.  A professional doctor that knows what is doing will not waste time with Mr. Fashola but look for another place. They are free to go. They will loose their job and doctors from other states will take the job immediately.
Mr. Fashola get rid of these crap and open the doors for others from other states.

Eko Ile:


Just 2 questions.

What is the difference between what Lagos state is offering against what the so called other states are paying?

Are the so called other states offering free housing, free cars and free health care?

Please answer ,

Dr-sleek:

Lagos state has the highest internally generated revenue of any state, it has a population of over 15 million people but with just over a thousand doctors,  If not for complete lack of regard on the part of the govt, I see no reason why lagos doctors can not be paid even more than this meagre conmess that is causing issues, lagos should be the state others look up to, its unheard of that a whole lagos is underpaying their much more overworked doctors less than other states, it makes no sense at all to me,   It's just a lack of will and regard PERIOD!

Dr-sleek:

I feel inclined to really insult you, but I wont cos your not worth it. Maybe its your uncles who are doctors that paid for their certificates so you think all docs are like that. I think you are right let them sack all d docs, I really want this to happen sef, I bet u itd be  a case of not knowing what u have till it's left you

Hope those new docs will be froma different association though and not NMA

This assertion is certainly not true. I know at least 50 docs wrking with LASG even some consultants, your claim is nothing but a figment of your imagination I'm afraid. . .

Eko Ile:

This is part of the new deal signed by the doctor and the state governmet and it's not only been approved, it's part of the states law and budget.

You people need to familiarize yourselves with facts and knowledge about issues before jumping in with your elementary emissions and irrelevant claims about who you know or don't know.

damas11111:

The actions of the doctors in Lagos state mark a disturbing degree of callousness and greed. If we may know, is there any other state in the country where doctors get paid as much as what Lagos is offering them? Every right thinking person will expect these bunch to appreciate what the state has offered.

Ramnon.2:

lol Yoruba doctors venge on Tinubu. The guy has become an anathema

Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Ayobode Williams, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, advised Fashola to assess the situation regarding the strike and their demands and “take the proper decision”.

Besides, the former Chairman of the Guild, Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa, who was sacked for allegedly granting a press interview, has accused Tinubu of telling the public lies.

The Medical Guild is the association of doctors employed by the state government.
It comprises members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), medical consultants and other categories of doctors in the state.

Olaifa said the state government knows what to do about his reinstatement and consequently resolve the crisis created by the “illegal sack”.

Williams told the Nigerian Compass that the comments credited to Tinubu was just an advice, adding that the congress of the Medical Guild will meet on Monday to assess the situation and decide on the way forward.

Medical doctors in public hospitals in the state had declared an indefinite strike on February 5 over the alleged non- implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS), which the government, last November, agreed would be effected from January, this year.

Other demands by the doctors include the payment of arrears from the CONMESS, over-taxation of their salaries and the reinstatement of Olaifa.

However, reacting to Tinubu’s comments, Olaifa denied claims that he was employed during the administration of the ex-governor.

“I was employed in June 1997, while Tinubu became the governor of Lagos State in 1999,” he said, adding: “There is no way he could have employed me”.

Olaifa also denied the claims that he is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but admitted being in politics, saying: “I have no reason to deny that I am in politics. I belong to the Accord Party.”

While accusing Tinubu of insincerity, the former Guild’s boss said: “In the wake of the doctors’ strike in January 2009, Tinubu called me and appealed that I should call off the strike. Another appeal to me to call off the strike came from the former Lagos State governor from Ghana, when he attended the inauguration of President John Atta-Mills. Then, he promised to press the government to address the demands of the doctors. I called off the strike and the government sacked me.”
According to Olaifa, a former Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Leke Pitan, had “also accused me that it was the PDP that was sponsoring me regarding the strikes we called to press for our demands. Pitan then alleged that the PDP gave me a house and a car.

“Following the allegations, they investigated the claims and found nothing against me.”
Also reacting to Tinubu’s comments, the Chairman of the State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) ARD, Dr. Olugbenga Oseni, said “based on the fact that Tinubu always calls himself a democrat, it is very uncomplimentary for him to call for the sack of professionals who are demanding for their rights.

“He is supposed to be a democrat. He is not supposed to suggest a method of using force to resolve the crises.”

Besides, Oseni noted the state health facilities lack enough doctors.
Therefore, he reasoned that it would be out of place to demand the sack of those currently providing service.

On fears that Fashola may implement the directive, Oseni said Tinubu’s comment is only an advice, adding that besides, he is not the sitting governor.

The agitation for better pay for doctors has become a national problem, prompting the national body of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to direct all its members across the 36 states to go on strike, if the CONMESS is not implemented in their states.

So far, about 10 states have implemented the CONMESS, said Dr. Edamisan Temiye, Chairman of the NMA, Lagos State Branch.

In Lagos, the government has implemented CONMESS up to 90 per cent, but “compressed” salaries of some categories of medical consultants in a review of the new salary structure it plans to implement.

Doctors in the state have, however, rejected the new salary structure and demanded that the CONMESS be fully implemented.

Temiye described the new structure by the Lagos State Government as shortchanging doctors.
Also, the NMA said there must be 100 per cent implementation of CONMESS before doctors in Lagos will return to work.

texazzpete:

You are yet to answer reindeer's question. Which doctors have been given free cars and housing? why would Fashola say such untruths in public?

Thank God the FoI bill is gaining traction, next time any elected official says such lies, we shall be able to disprove them immediately!

And to think your parents will say their son is educated. You cannot even read what the issues are before talking. Lagos doctors work much harder than their counterparts in Ekiti and earn less. So far, at least 10 other states have approved CONMESS salary scale for their doctors.

Dr-sleek:

@ EKo Ile
I have been following your posts and I must say your arguments are biased and highly unreasonable,  you even went on to say that docs are not special and are just like any other govt workers abi? I hear you and I hope you wont't find your self in a situation whereby the simple presence of a trained doc would have made the difference between life and death for you and/or one of your loved ones

Praiselive:

Doctors should realize that they are not the only people on earth. they should be considerate. their salary is not too bad. so his strike is unnecessary. they r not there just for money but to save human lives.

Eko Ile:

Like I said before, you are not only hopelessly ignorant, you are intellectually lazy. You're here talking about issues you know little or nothing about. You're good at running your mouth, but you have zero clue about what was agreed to between the state  the people you're defending.

Isn't it a common sense thing to have the most basic knowledge if not about the state's offer, but at least about what the people you are defending agreed to and what's part of the agreement they inked with the state.

Eko Ile:

And if this discussion is heading down the path where you have no basic facts to defend yourself and you have to mix in your unnecessary and immature name calling and parental insults, feel free to leave the discussion or just ignore me, I'm here to debate, not to trade parental insults like elementary school kids. Some of you really need to grow up.

Eko Ile:

You really are a waste of time and effort.

We need to save Fashola from his grip by voting massively for other parties in the house of assembly elections

Ileke-IdI:

Thats what I posted last year, but someone ridiculous (cant pinpoint my finger on the person's ID) said something about their salary being too low and bla bla.
Must these doctors strike every year? Wasting lives after lives.

Praiselive:

Doctors should realize that they are not the only people on earth. they should be considerate. their salary is not too bad. so his strike is unnecessary. they r not there just for money but to save human lives.

Ileke-IdI:

Thats what I posted last year, but someone ridiculous (cant pinpoint my finger on the person's ID) said something about their salary being too low and bla bla.
Must these doctors strike every year? Wasting lives after lives.

tiwantiwa:

We really need to get the statistics right , if the arguement by doctors that they are the least paid is anything to go by ,they should check with other professions. Doctors are forgetting that they cant even save lives in isolation, if the infrastructure are not there , security etc , they cant have peace of mind and wont even concentrate on the work. These are common sense thing , except the fight is about what we all dont know , doctors  can work out things with fashola , it is a pity they are not taking good advantage of a good governor like Fashola. imagine what an Alao-akala will do

tiwantiwa:

yes everyone knows doctors spent longer hours reading , doing exams , it does not mean it has to translate to bigger money . Doctors are wound up in a world of their own importance and have an entitlement mentality that explains the basic translation of the fact that they save lives , they have to earn more. I will advise that lok for a win-win common ground, take into consideraation the multi-faceted challenges of Lagos state.

reindeer:

@Eko ile
calm down.
You are getting worked up unnneccessarily.
All we should be interested in now are solutions.
The government may be promising heaven and earth, you wont blame the doctors for not believing them this time.They had done that before and got their fingers burnt,most recently last november when they called off the strike on the basis of a document signed by the government promising full implementation by january ending, only to turn around and rearrange CONMESS and try to change the terms.
I say again, the government can afford it, forget what you are been told in the media(except you work for the government and are privy to some info we don't have). This issue now has big egos involved and it may look like a defeat for Tinubu if the money is paid.Same for some shameless ''medical elders''.
To solve this problem and prevent future occurence:
1. Let the government pay the full amount
2. Let them demand that the doctors sign agreements that there will be no further strikes for the next 4years, and make that a precondition for payment
3. Change the recruitment of doctors from man-know-man to merit based and let a good recruitment company handle it
4. let all new doctors be employed on annually/2 yearly renewable contracts tied to performance(indicators of which will have to be jointly decided)
5. Stop spending the state govts money to send families of politicians in the state abroad for frivolous treatments( i am aware and have met a close relative of a sitting commissioner here in the UK who came to remove a sub acute appendix, paid for by the govt cos she was accompanied by a doctor from alausa who was paid so much money he stayed in a hotel in central london for 2 weeks.
6. Full disclosure of pay of all civil servants in the state
7. Full disclosure of how much from the state goes to Tinubu monthly
8. forget about ''free cars and accomodation'' , it will be illegal as all those things had been monetised already and are just gimmicks for the press and the gullible
9. set up mandatory re-training of doctors at least every 5years.

i believe this will go a long way in changing the sector for both the patients and even for the proffesional development of doctors them selves. It will also remove a basic grouse against the political class:ostentatious spending on frivolities while you insist you cant pay your workers.
We need not get personal and hurl insults around, you may feel really angered by the doctors' actions( or maybe you have a personal reason for hating them or defending the govt, i don't know)
The only people suffering this are the patients, because doctors will still be paid for the period spent outside work which is a loss for the government.(unfortunately, you'd have to change the labour laws of the country to stop this).
These things have solutions if we are humble enough to accept them and not bring ego into everything, just my thoughts.

texazzpete:


Thank you. Now answer the pertinent questions people throw your way with logic instead of your usual childish excuses. First we want details of the so called cars and houses Fashola has distributed to Lagos doctors at all levels.

The reality of the new wage we are offering is that the most junior doctor moves from N110, 000 per month to N170,000 while the senior doctors moved from about 360,000 to over 700,000 per month", he added.

The Governor reminded the doctors that unlike the Federal Government which they want the State to replicate its salary figures, the State Government also provides cars, houses and free healthcare to its doctors which is not done at the federal level.

http://www.tundefashola.com/archives/news/2011/02/12/20110212N01.html

“When recently, the Federal Government, without prior consultation with the other two tiers of government introduced a specialised salary structure for doctors in its employ, called CONMESS, some of the associations of doctors in the state, especially the Association of Resident Doctors and the Medical Guild, began agitations for an immediate implementation of same structure in Lagos State.”

“The decision of the doctors was without consideration for the directive of the national body of the Nigeria Medical Association which said no state chapter should threaten or embark on any strike over CONMESS,” he stated.

The commissioner said the doctors had also refused to appear before the committee set up by the government to determine a new pay package for all its employees, but wanted the government to by-pass civil service procedure and meet their needs immediately.

According to him, “the doctors had refused to negotiate with the committee or make any representation to it but insisted on the governor single handedly signing a paper for them or directing by fiat, a wage increase for the doctors alone.

“The governor has consistently stated that he would not be coerced or blackmailed into acting in an arbitrary manner, noting that even the intransigence of the doctors and any interest group trying to make political capital out of the unfortunate development would not make him violate well established public service rules and law.”

The commissioner stated that rather than blame the government for not negotiating with the doctors as being mischievously projected, “all men of good will should prevail on the Medical Guild and the Association of Resident Doctors to call off the strike forthwith and resume negotiation with the government in the interest of the good people of Lagos State and the Hippocratic Oath they took as caregivers.”

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2010/11/08/doctors%E2%80%99-strike-lagos-govt-lying-%E2%80%94medical-guild/print/