Health Minister Engages Ministries Over Medical Consultants’ Demands

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has reached out to the Ministries of Education, Finance, and Labour and Employment in response to the demands put forth by the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).

MDCAN issued a 21-day ultimatum from October 21 to November 11, urging stakeholders, including the federal government, to meet its demands or face a nationwide withdrawal of services by its members.

The association raised concerns over excluding medical and dental lecturers from the selection process for the office of the Vice-Chancellor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

Additionally, MDCAN is advocating for the harmonization of the retirement age of medical and dental consultants to 70 years as a measure to curb the mass migration of doctors.

The group is also pushing for paying medical lecturers’ compensations in line with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) to address discrepancies in their earnings, entry-level positions, and pension benefits.

Speaking to Punch on the progress of the discussions held with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant stakeholders on Thursday, MDCAN National President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, revealed that plans were being made to formalize the association’s demands through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government.

Muhammad stated, “We had a meeting with the Ministry of Health, the Minister of Labour, the National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission, and some other stakeholders that have to do with the negotiations; but the Ministry of Education was not present.

“We discussed the issues raised one after the other, and we had some areas of disagreements, and then we’ve charted a way forward for the areas that we agreed. Presently, the Minister of Health is writing to the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Labour on some of the issues that they need to handle.

“So, we are waiting for both the resolution of the meeting, and then the letters. Currently, the file is in his office. We are waiting to collect our own copy. The minister is writing to the Ministry of Education regarding the issue of disenfranchisement. He is writing to the Head of Service regarding the issue of harmonisation, and we want him to help us take the issue to the Federal Executive Council, at least, that probably will make it easier to get approval so we can begin the footwork.”

The don noted that the request on the payment of the emoluments of medical lecturers with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure is beyond the Ministry of Health, but it is writing to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation for the necessary action.

“Once we get our copies of the letters, we will take them to our members at the emergency meeting on Monday. If it is acceptable to the members, fine, but if it is not, then we now push ahead with the decision from us,” he added.