The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria on Monday raised the alarm over plans by the Presidency to clampdown on the Nigerian Medical Association and privatise all hospitals owned by the Federal Government.
Doctors in Government hospitals under the aegis of NMA have been on nationwide strike for the past one month over alleged breach of agreement reached by both parties.
The association said information reaching its secretariat revealed that if the proposal sails through, soldiers would be drafted to secure all the medical institutions while para-military medical professionals would be deployed to perform the role of Doctors.
The President of MDCAN, Dr. Steve Oluwole, in a statement obtained by journalists in Abuja wondered whether the replacements would be better alternatives to roles performed by Doctors.
He said, “In the event that the Federal Government tows this course of action, the military will be deployed to guard the medical institutions with military and para-military medical professionals rendering services in the mean time.
“All public health institutions will be privatised. Then, the ‘no work no pay’ principle will be enforced; Doctors who are interested will be protected to resume duties while new ones will be employed to take their place.”
Several calls and text messages by to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, for response on the issues were not replied.