Medical, Dental Consultants issues notice of withdrawal of service

Medical and Dental Consultants across Nigeria under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has notified the federal government of their intention to withdraw their services from the health sector due to income loss as a result of government reforms in the health sector. MDCAN in a letter to the Executive Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Abuja, dated July 26, 2021, served a “Notice of Withdrawal of Services”, to the federal government referring the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission chairman to the letter dated of 23^rd April he wrote to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, directing the removal of doctors who are lecturers from the CONMESS Salary Scale on the PPS platform for the payment of their salaries in the Universities.

 The National Executive Council of the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), thereafter, met on Saturday, June 19, 2021, to review the implication of that document for the members. That meeting resolved to pursue dialogue and to engage the Commission once more with a view to finding a lasting solution to the issue of the income loss incurred by the members of the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria who are lecturers in the Universities.

The Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria recalled a letter to the chairman’s office dated May 27, 2021, drawing the commission’s attention to the letter.

“Your reply dated June 24, 2021, far from addressing our concerns, conveys the impression that our concerns are not receiving any serious attention from your office,” the medical practitioners noted.

MDCAN later held an Emergency National Executive Council meeting on July 19, 2021, to deliberate on the implication of the Commission’s directive to the Office of the Accountant General of Federation to stop their members’ salaries, adding that they intended to correct the income loss incurred by clinical lecturers in the past 10 years or so.

Accordingly, the NEC at the Emergency meeting observed as follows:

The income loss being suffered by consultants who are lecturers in the universities has gone on for 10 years now. The meeting argued that it is the direct result of the fact that they do two full time jobs in both the Universities and the Teaching Hospitals; yet receive a combined emolument that is less than that of one job.

That the income loss extends into retirement as their retirement benefits are much attenuated too, due to the income loss incurred in the university.

That this income loss is the result of the fact that their work in the Teaching Hospital is under-compensated, and also the fact that the remuneration system in the University does not recognize them as doctors, despite the fact that the University primarily employs them because of the fact that they are doctors.

They, thereafter, resolved to withdraw their services forthwith till the directive is reserved.