NIGERIA
Lessons to learn The cons and the messes depicted above are where the lessons are in this whole matter. 1. There needs to be a clear statement on how salary increments for doctors at the federal level affect those at the state levels. Truth is that some states may even be able to pay more than the FG and truly some may not be able to meet up. The blind imposition is thus not acceptable. State and local Governments must be carried along in the initial negotiations.
2. Government must respond promptly to the cries of the doctors. The Lagos State Government did increase salaries but it took them too long to do so.
3. Doctors too must be willing to accept some balances and compromise instead of insisting on having it all their own way.
4. Doctors’ strikes must be well coordinated and should have a human face. Shutting down the hospitals to the public (including emergency services) is rather cruel. Well-coordinated warning strikes with skeletal and emergency services coupled with mass media sensitisation of the public should precede any doctors’ strike. Indeed all the intermediaries in the strikes over the last 2 years should come in at this point before it degenerates to a full strike.
5. The NMA needs to be more visible and should play more of a role in doctors’ lives. It is a voluntary association and does not have some of the powers it claimed to have during the last strike. Only the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has the
power to withdraw doctors licences.
6. Doctors involved in unionism, administration, and political positions must always remember that the integrity of their profession is at stake when issues like this arise. They must try and view the issues involved with a neutral mind and seek good compromise resolutions from both the Government and the doctors’ associations.
7. Doctors must have respect for authority irrespective of their grievances and should not be seen as mercenaries. A response to the queries issued stating exactly why they resumed the strike would have been a better response.
8. Doctors need to stick together. Usurping each other in major crisis such as the one that just happened does not augur well for the good of the profession. However it does get to a point when personal decisions can be taken.
Almost certainly there will be another disagreement between doctors and the government. This can be prevented from inception if both can start to discuss and agree now on the way forward from here. Seeking implementation of some legislation may also help. If indeed the talks collapse at this level then looking back at the past and learning some of the lessons above can help bring both parties to reasonable compromises which will help safeguard the health of the populace. Indeed, this is the primary function of both the government and the medical body and thus it must be striven for with a sense of discipline, compassion and integrity.
July 2012
Africa Health Nigeria 7
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