The Joint Health Sector Unions has rejected plans by the Federal Government to privatise public health institutions.
Joy Bioblemoye, JOHESU National Chairman, said this during a mass rally on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, we reject moves by the Federal Government to privatise the health sector.
Bioblemoye said: “Government should address the challenges that are confronting the sectors which are corruption and lack of fair management in the system rather than thinking of privatisation.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that members of the union are on a three-day rally over their plights.
They are always protesting the alleged withholding of workers’ salaries for the months of April and May 2018 by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale.
The chairman said his members would not hesitate to shut down the sector, should government failed to address their plights after the rally.
Bioblemoye, however, called on President Buhari to intervene in the matter, saying that over 90 per cent of chief medical directors of public institutions have their private hospitals.
He noted that such practice had led to the rots in the system due to clash of interests.
Earlier, he said the mass rally was to sensitise Nigerian public and government about the development.
He said: “We are here today to sensitise the general public of the happenings in the health sector. We want to call on the Minister of Health Prof. Adewale to respect court order and release our salaries for the months of April and May, 2018.
“While the court asked both parties not to do anything that could jeopardise the peace process, the minister still went ahead to implement no work no pay policy.”
NAN reports that some of the placards carried by the workers read “Adewale Must Go’’, No JOHESU, No Hospital, Health Workers Say No to Corruption” among others.
