Minister seeks end to strikes in health sector

[Punch]

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has called for an end to industrial disharmony or strikes in the health sector.

He stated that the Federal Government would welcome any step taken towards attaining industrial harmony at institutional levels across the country.

Chukwu, who was represented by an official of the ministry, Dr. Alex Onoyona, spoke at a seminar organised by the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, on Thursday. The seminar was titled, 'Promoting industrial harmony in a multi-disciplinary organisation.'

The minister said the report of the Presidential committee on a harmonious work relationship amongst health workers and other professional groups in the health sector in Nigeria (which he set up in August 2010), was already with President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Chairman, UITH board, Mrs. Olajumoke Anifowoshe, and UITH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, called for stakeholders' collaboration towards improving industrial harmony in the health sector.

Anifowoshe said with the level of infrastructure and equipment in some hospitals in the country and the quality and commitment of health personnel, Nigeria should rather be a destination of medical tourism.

"Nigeria should be a medical tourism. People should be coming to Nigeria for medical attention from other parts of Africa, even from other parts of the world because our medical doctors are even doing very well abroad," she said.

Meanwhile, the President of West African College of Surgeons, Prof. Herve Yangni-Angate, has called on the Federal Government to encourage public private partnership in the health sector, saying such a gesture would bring ailing hospitals back to life.

The Punch