The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Umuahia Zone, has blamed the incessant industrial unrest that has bedevilled the country’s health sector on the absence of a national health law.

Chairman of the NMA, Umuahia Zone, Dr. Ezekiel Ojimadu, expressed this view in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia. He noted that such law would have regulated several things, including appointments, roles of the various health professionls and their associations, progression as well as policies guiding establishment, operations and management of hospitals in the country.

Speaking against the backdrop of the on-going indefinite strike by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) nationwide, Ojimadu said a national health law would have provided appropriate progression processes that would have curbed the unhealthy rivalry between medical doctors and other health professionals clamouring for equal status with medical doctors.

The Consultant Family Physician argued that the clamouring for consultancy status by other health professionals was out of place as such status could only be conferred by the extent of education and training one has acquired.

Giving an example, he said that before a Medical Doctor becomes a Consultant, he must have undergone about 12-15 years of training in the university whereas, in some cases, other health professionals undergo a course of study for just about three or four years. He was unequivocal that granting everyone consultancy status was a prescription for anarchy. “The lack of a bill (law) is one thing that is causing confusion,” said Ojimadu, who is also the Head, Accident and Emergency, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

He noted that the current JOHESU strike was uncalled for, adding that the supremacy battle that is raging in the health sector between doctors and other health professionals was the handiwork of the devil which has infltrated the system and has sown a bad seed. JOHESU draws its membership from other unions and associations in the health sector except NMA.

Ojimadu, however, made it clear that doctors were not on strike but were on hand at various hopsitals, particularly in Umuahia. He enjoined patients to go to hospitals within the zone for medical attention.

With particular reference to FMC, Umuahia, Ojimadu said: “JOHESU is on stirke but God is helping us to see patients as much as we can. We have a functional laboratory that is working under Public Private Partnership and they do their work with speed and to specification. A Pharmacy attached to us is also functional. So, doctors are not on strike; we are still attending to patients.”

He acknowledged that the doctors were “stretching themselves a little,” but pointed that they were drawing inspration from the Medical Director of FMC, Dr. Abali Chuku, who was personally making enormous sacrifces to ensure that that the hospital was functional and providing medical services to the public.

News Express recalls that JOHESU recently called its members out of the hospitals for an indefinite strike to press hime their demand which included granting consultancy status to other professionals in the health care delivery system, not just the medical doctors alone.

•Photo shows NMA Chairman, Umuahia Zone, Dr. Ezekiel Ojimadu.