Increasing industrial actions across the nation especially by medical doctors have raised concern regarding essential service delivery and sincerity of government in addressing vexed issues. In this interview with Ezra Ijioma, the President of Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Omede Idris, offers suggestions on how to resolve the current strike by resident doctors in Lagos State.
Why do medical doctors go on strike regularly?
Though strikes have been sporadic, they are heralded by things that are beyond the scope of the practitioners. As a bigger body, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), has not called out doctors on strike for some time now. The last time NMA went on strike was in 2001 and that’s about 10 years ago. The recent strikes were embarked upon by our affiliates. We believe very much that dialogue and understanding, and government being responsive to the vexed issues, will solve our problems especially in a democratic dispensation where government is expected to listen to people. Most issues that herald strike had to do with even the beneficiaries of health services. The strikes that doctors embark on are borne out of the need to improve health services. It is painful when you are trained to render a particular service and you find yourself unable to do it because you are handicapped by lack of equipment, incentives and the rest.
This leaves the doctors unfulfilled and dejected. Salary is only part of the reasons doctors go on strike. Salaries become critical when you look at the society where political appointees are well-paid but not the civil servants and professionals, and when you talk about it you are told that there is no money
but there is money to pay the political appointees. But if everyone is in the same kettle, it would be easier to understand.
But doctors are in charge of the decision-making bodies in the health system, why are they complaining about the system?
No, there is politicisation of so many things and poor funding. Politicisation here means that yes, you are in charge in quote, but there are certain instructions that are given to you by someone superior to you. Sometimes you are in charge and could have drawn up your plans but the resources are just not there for you to deliver those things that you are supposed to do. You find out that budgetary allocations to health do not meet global standards and are grossly inadequate.
But since we have political influence and poor funding across the nation’s socio-political strata, don’t you think this is not a peculiar problem of doctors?
Yes, I agree it is not peculiar with doctors. But you must differentiate doctors from other professionals. In other fields you can manage. In other fields you have alternatives and substitutes. For example, in the power sector, you can use
generators and in the water sector, people can drill boreholes if the public water system fails. But we know in health, there is no alternative, you must use the public health system or the private one. Those who are not financially buoyant patronise the public health system and that is why it should be
well-funded. You must realise that over 70 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas and they are poor. The only health system that services them is the public health system. So there is a large burden on public health system. Health is the only
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