Determined to avert the looming strike by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday engaged stakeholders in the health sector in a crucial meeting at the State House, Abuja.
The crucial meeting was attended by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State who is a medical doctor, Ministers of Health and his Labour counterpart, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu and Emeka Wogu respectively.
The NMA late last year embarked on five-day warning strike, insisting that doctors nationwide would resume strike on January 6, 2014 should the Federal Government fails to meet their demands.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, Governor Uduaghan said government was working hard to avert the strike, saying that President Jonathan had agreed to some of the demands by the NMA.
According to him, government would not allow the strike to go ahead, saying it would be disastrous if workers in a critical sector like health should down tools now.
Uduaghan said another meeting would hold Thursday evening during which the President’s message would be delivered to NMA officials.
He spoke further, “There are issues that have been raised by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for which they have threatened to strike. They had a warning strike for about five days, so the President called a stakeholders meeting to look at the issues.
“We are going for a meeting now at 5pm with the NMA, at least, there are some things the President has consented to and I believe by the time we finish the meeting this evening, there will be some resolutions.
“Our determination is to ensure that that strike of January 6 is averted. Of course we cannot afford another strike in the medical sector. One minute of strike in the health sector by whatever body can be very disastrous.”
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