The Joint Health Sector
Unions (JOHESU) has called on the Federal Government to restrict
international air travels to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos,
and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to contain
the rampaging Coronavirus in the world.
This is just as it
asked President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate another chairman for the Pharmacists
Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Comrade Biobelemoye Joy
Josiah, JOHESU National Chairman, made the call Tuesday, March 10, 2020, when
he led a delegation of JOHESU/AHPA national leadership on a courtesy visit to
President Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Josiah told the
President that because of the challenges of COVID 19, there also needed to
restrict movements at the Lagos seaports as well as unhindered movements via
land as the country steps up total surveillance on all ports of entry.
Josiah thanked the
president for prompt release of N600 million to tackle the unfortunate menace
of the virus.
“It is our belief that
this will take care of essentials including Personal Protection Equipment
(PPE),” he said.
He, however, told the
President that one of the challenges that had arisen as a fall-out of COVID-19
is that of Drug Security.
“Today the shut-down of
major pharmaceutical industries in China as well as banning of exportation of
drugs and pharmaceutical recipients from India makes the threat of an imminent
drug scarcity in Nigeria a huge possibility because these two countries combine
to supply over 80% of drug needs in Nigeria today.
“The Federal Government
must therefore facilitate substantial investments in the pharmaceutical industry
especially the building of petrochemical plants to guarantee self-sufficiency
in the availability of essential medicines in the health system,” JOHESU
chairman said.
He thanked the
President for not implementing the advice of stakeholders who clamoured for the
privatisation of the health sector which would have deprived the masses of
access to affordable healthcare in the country.
Josiah said, “Contrary
to pervading impression, JOHESU believes in dialogue, and we continue to
excel in the finest tenets of the rule of engagement to ensure the stability
and growth of the Health Sector.
“Concessioning is
therefore not the issue, but reducing corruption and catalysing good leadership
provided by hospital administrators so that we can have proper management of
our limited resources.
“The only option that
works in the maximum interest of Nigerians at this time is to allow healthcare
remain a social welfare service to consumers of health. The JOHESU/AHPA makes
bold to say that the Federal Government should admonish the profiteers and
greedy entrepreneurs jostling to take over public health facilities to be
responsible enough to build their own world class health facilities like their
counterparts in the global arena.”
On adjustment of
CONHESS salary structure, JOHESU chairman called for the facilitation and
release of funds through Presidential approval to cater for the adjustment of
CONHESS salary structure which has lingered since January 2, 2014 Adjusment of
CONHESS Scale as was done to CONMESS Scale.
He noted that in 2009
the Federal Government committed itself to a Collective Bargaining Agreement on
relativity in the two salary scales that were introduced via CONHESS for all
health workers except doctors and CONMESS for doctors.
“The express
implication of the collective Bargaining Agreement was that any adjustment on
any of the scales would transcend to the automatic tinkering of the other scale
by a commensurate percentage. Since 2014 when the Federal Government adjusted
the CONMESS Scale holistically, it has further adjusted selectively in 2017.
During negotiations on this matter with a team of Federal Government officials
in 2018 led by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, and the then Minister
of Health, who incidentally are Medical Doctors, government team presented a
memo for the payment of 22.6B as prepared by the National Salaries, Incomes and
Wages Commission (NSIWC) awaiting Presidential Approval.
“We therefore call on
Your Excellency to kindly approve the payment as computed by the (NSIWC) for
justice and harmony to be dispensed to all in the health sector,” he said.
JOHESU chairman also
spoke on payment of withheld April and May 2018 salaries to JOHESU members in
the Federal Health Institutions.
He said, “We find it
extremely necessary to draw the attention of Your Excellency to the challenge
of withheld salaries of our members in April and May, 2018. This was hinged on
a selective and discriminatory application of the ‘No Work No Pay’ resolution
of the Federal Executive Council. It is on record that the controversial ‘No
work No Pay’ policy of the Federal Government has never been applied in any
sector of the economy. In one instance, ASUU was on strike for at least three
months, yet their salaries were never withheld. So also, the workers in the
Research Institutes, the umbrella, Joint Action of Research and Allied
Institutions Sector Unions (JORAISU) were on strike for over two months
without stoppage of their salaries. Even when medical practitioners (medical
doctors) were on strike, no such obnoxious policy was used against them.
“Once again we refer to
the 2017 Terms of Settlement we had with the Federal Government on September
30, 2017 which forbade victimisation of those who participated in the April
and May 2018 strike which was a direct consequence of the failure of the
Federal Government to implement the Terms of Settlement within five weeks of
signing same.
“Your Excellency, our
teeming members expect that after this ground breaking courtesy visit to you,
your kind intervention will make way for a breakthrough.
“One of the biggest
demonstrations of the avowed commitment of the Federal Government to work with
all stakeholders remains the release of the payment of withheld salaries which
has lingered for about two years albeit with great pains to our members. God
will give Your Excellency necessary wisdom to dispense justice as you expedite
action on this matter,” he said.
JOHESU also called for
a Presidential Intervention to redress the choice of a controversial
chairmanship designate of the PCN as we re-position MDAs involved in drug
distribution at all times and particularly in times of Health emergencies.
Josiah said there was
need to re-structure the regulatory agencies in the drug distribution channels.
He said the quest for
self-sufficiency in the Pharmaceutical Sector must be tied to complete
reforms and proper restructuring at the key Regulatory Agencies in the value
chain of drug distribution in Nigeria today which include the Pharmacists
Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) National
Agency for Food Drug and Control (NAFDAC).
“These agencies need to
be better funded and we must insist on the appointments of fit and proper persons
in these very strategic regulatory agencies in public interest.
“As supporters of the
government anti-corruption crusade and its penchant for rule of law, we shall
always form the needed invincible bilateral consortium the Federal Government
needs to actualise its goals and objectives at all times.
“We, therefore, find it
necessary, Your Excellency, to draw your attention to the obvious crisis which
has prevented the inauguration of the Governing Council of the PCN by the
Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH).
“The crux of the matter
here is that the PSN which is the major stakeholder as the umbrella platform
of Registered Pharmacists in Nigeria at some point removed one of the two
Chairmen-Designates of PCN on its Fellowship list and put him on the Roll of
Dishonour of the profession for purported acts inimical to professional
interest.
“In view of the reality
that the Chairman of PCN is the Statutory Chairman of the Disciplinary
Tribunal of the PCN (an equivalent of a Federal High Court) the stakeholders
in health insist that appointing such in a Regulatory Agency would cause
integrity problems for the PCN when erring companies and professionals pass
through such tainted Disciplinary Tribunals because of their presiding
officer.
“Our concern is that
the Presidency must intervene now so that the statutory function of the PCN in
pharmacy practice matters to ensure the availability of safe and efficacious
drugs in registered premises is not compromised particularly because of the
evolving challenges of COVID-19 and other diseases.”
JOHESU reiterated its
willingness to extend necessary cooperation to the President as he leads the
way to embark on the very important assignment of ensuring compliance with all
judgements of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) which were issued
on March 28, 2019; payment of outstanding 2018 salaries to our members and
actualising the adjustment of CONHESS Scale which has been pending for so many
years.
Josiah assured
President Buhari that JOHESU would continue to collaborate with him as he
grapples with the many challenges confronting the country and building a
health system that would become a benchmark in the comity of nations.