The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has suspended its seven-day warning strike after reaching an agreement with the federal government to address its demands, Metroblog gathered
MDCAN National President Mohammad Mohammad confirmed the suspension, noting that progress on the association’s outstanding issues would be evaluated during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in mid-December.
“We have agreed on all the issues, outlined the steps to be taken, and set timelines. We will continue to advocate for the fulfilment of these commitments,” Mohammad said. He also assured that MDCAN would honor the agreement reached during the conciliation meeting led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, while closely monitoring further developments.
Strike Overview and Key Issues
MDCAN had declared the warning strike last Monday to protest the federal government’s failure to address critical demands. Despite compliance by its members, emergency and critical care services remained operational in some hospitals, particularly in Abuja and Lagos, while elective services were disrupted.
Among MDCAN’s grievances was the exclusion of medical and dental lecturers from the selection process for the Vice-Chancellor position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. The association also demanded the removal of the university’s Governing Council Chairman for alleged insubordination.
In response, President Bola Tinubu dissolved UNIZIK’s Governing Council, removed Vice-Chancellor Bernard Odoh, and sacked Registrar Rosemary Nwokike. The president emphasized the importance of university councils ensuring smooth operations in line with their establishment Acts and warned against disruptions in higher education institutions.
“Our primary demand, which was the UNIZIK issue, has been resolved,” Mohammad stated.
Additional Demands
MDCAN also raised concerns about disparities in the payment of medical lecturers, calling for the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for clinical lecturers across all Nigerian universities. Other demands included:
Harmonizing the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years to address manpower shortages in training, research, and healthcare services.
Rectifying shortfalls in emoluments, entry-level positions, and pension contributions for medical and dental consultants.
About MDCAN
MDCAN represents medical and dental consultants specializing in various fields of medicine and dentistry. These professionals hold the highest qualifications in their fields and are responsible for training medical doctors, conducting research, and providing specialist healthcare services.
The association’s members work in government and private hospitals, as well as in tertiary and secondary health facilities across Nigeria.
The suspension of the strike marks a critical step toward resolving long-standing issues, as MDCAN continues to push for reforms to improve the healthcare and education sectors.
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