Workers vow to reject privatisation of public health institutions

• Protests paralysis services at UATH

JOINT Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has rejected moves by the Federal Government to privatise public health institutions.

National chairman of JOHESU, Josiah Biobelemoye who spoke during a mass rally against developments in the health sector in Abuja, listed corruption and lack of fair management as the main challenges inhibiting effective health care delivery in the country.

The workers, who staged a three-day rally over the plights of JOHESU members, flayed the Minister of health, Professor Isaac Oyewole for withholding workers salaries for the months of April and May 2018.

He said the workers would not hesitate to shut down the sector, should nothing happen after the rally by the workers. While seeking President Buhari’s intervention into the industrial dispute, Biobelemoye alleged that over 90 per cent of Chief Medical Directors of public institutions have their private hospitals.

He said such practice leads to the rots in the system due to clash of interest.

He stressed that the rallies were meant to sensitise the public to their plights and to disabuse the minds of Nigerians who generally believe the union is a strike-monger.

He explained: “We are here today to sensitise the general public on the happenings in the health sector. We want the world to know that the Minister of Health Professor Adewole has refused to release our April and May 2018 salaries despite a court order.

“While the court asked both parties nor to do anything that can jeopardize the peace process, the Minister went ahead to implement no work no pay”.

He further asked Nigerians to hold the Minister responsible should anything go wrong in the sector.

The three-day rallies paralysed medical services at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada.

The health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) branch, said they have been neglected in the welfare package of the Federal Ministry of Health. Chairman of JOHESU, UATH branch, Stephen Oricha told The Guardian after their third day protest rally that the Federal Government does not regard any other health workers other than the medical doctors.

According to Oricha, the decision to embark on the rally was to sensitise the Health Minister and the Federal Government on the looming danger should it decline to adhere to the court decision and that of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) where 15 of 17 of their demands were upheld.