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Essential Services: UCH Doctors discourage unbridled Unionism in the Sector

University College Hospital’s Doctors, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, through its General Secretary, Dr Olushola Ibiyemi, has said something must be done to stop the unbridled unionism in the Health Sector.

He expressed displeasure over the incessant strikes which often put innocent patients’ lives at risk.

“It is absolutely uncalled for to endanger the lives of others”

Dr Ibiyemi stated that the Nigerian populace had suffered enough due to industrial actions, adding that the Health Sector must desist from complicating their problems.

“Worldwide, hospitals represent a place of refuge and are therefore unfortunate that health workers who should know better will desecrate these corridors of sanctuary”.

He faulted the previous action by JOHESU, stressing that its members were assaulted and noting that it was wrong of JOHESU members to lock up offices, without submitting the keys of vital places, to Management of the Hospital.

“We wish to categorically state that assault on any of our members shall no longer be tolerated and shall henceforth be met with resistance and if need be, be prosecuted to the fullest”.

Industrial Actions in the Health Sectors of Other Countries

In the United Kingdom, the UK General Medical Council has said that doctors contemplating industrial action must make sure arrangements are in place to care for their patients, and the strike action must not harm patients or put them at risk.

There is also a general consensus that emergency care should always be provided during a strike.

In India, Delhi Medical Council said under no circumstances should doctors resort to strike and as such put patients’ care in serious jeopardy.

In Pakistan, when doctors went on strike over a lack of service structure, security and low pay, the government called in law enforcement agencies to end the protests, and several doctors were physically tortured and arrested, and many were suspended from their duties.

In the United States, Doctors’ strikes are rare, but in January 2015, doctors staged a one day strike to protest resourcing of students’ healthcare. Reports show that healthcare providers might ethically leave their patients’ bedsides to go on strike only when the benefit of the patient was the ultimate goal and only after all other avenues of negotiation had been exhausted.

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