Health workers in Nigeria begin nationwide strike today

Health workers will today begin an indefinite strike over intractable leadership crisis in the sector. Their grievances include non-commencement of residency training programme for health professionals, non- implementation of new call duty allowance and non-payment of arrears of CONHESS 10 skipping, among others. Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) National President Felix Faniran spoke yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on the planned action. NUAHP is an umbrella body of professionals, like physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, optometrists, dieticians, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, dental therapists, among others. Faniran said there was no going back on what he called “total and indefinite strike”. The union leader accused the Presidency, Minister for Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu and leaders of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) of allegedly fuelling and sustaining the crisis in the Health sector. He was particular about the sector’s problems since 2010.