issue with medical and dental consultants FG issues a 21-day ultimatum and makes a strike threat.

The Federal Government has been given a 21-day ultimatum by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria to comply with their requests or risk industrial discord.

Following its virtual special National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, MDCAN announced this in a press release.Dr. Victor Makanjuola, the president, and Dr. Yemi Raji, the secretary-general, signed the communiqué.The Nigerian Medical Association and the NEC jointly agreed to an upward review of CONMESS, and the NEC expressed its dismay at the lack of implementation of this agreement and the introduction of the Accoutrement allowance.

The released circular only included the percentage increase on the basic salary, rather than applying it to all allowances except hazard allowance.The press release stated, “The clinical lecturers (Honorary Consultants) have been completely excluded from the upward review as a result of this oversight. Instead of June 1, 2023, it was decided that January 1, 2023 would be the start date for the new circular.”We think this mistake will be fixed right away.

The implications of the withdrawal of gasoline subsidies and the exponential inflation that has swept over our socioeconomic area over the last three months were not taken into account in the most recent upward assessment of CONMESS.

“The issue has not yet been resolved by the Federal Government, despite our association’s decision to remain steadfast in our engagement and negotiations with the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission for over two years regarding the correction of the remuneration shortfalls for Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants),” the statement read.

The council declared that it has noticed the non-universal application of CONMESS for all physicians and dentists, regardless of the government agencies with which they are affiliated.

As evidenced by the National Council on Establishment’s rejection of the Federal Ministry of Health’s proposal to review the retirement age for Medical and Dental Consultants and other health workers upward, the council bemoaned the government’s inability to recognize the severity of the effects of brain drain in the industry.

According to the council, the government has not been able to settle the ongoing conflicts with the National Association of Residents Doctors, which have an impact on Nigerians’ ability to receive healthcare and the kidnapping of medical professionals there.

However, the consultants are requesting that the recently revised CONMESS circular be reviewed right away and that a new circular be issued that would reflect the agreed-upon percentage on the Basic Salary as well as other allowances, excluding the Hazard Allowance.

They claim that the review will guarantee that the upward review will be beneficial to the clinical lecturers.A request to fix the mistake in starting the upward review of CONMESS on June 1, 2023, instead of January 1, 2023, is one of the other demands.

“The effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and the current high inflationary trend should be taken into consideration in the upward review of the CONMESS.” A demand that the agreed-upon procedures for addressing the disparities in clinical lecturers’ (honorary consultants’) compensation be put into effect immediately and made circular.

an appeal to all physicians and dentists, especially those employed by public universities, for CONMESS’s global application.”The effects of brain drain in the health sector, which is causing member burnout and an insufficient workforce to care for Nigerians’ health, are once again brought to the government’s attention.

Therefore, in order to stop the current huge brain drain, we urge that the age of retirement be immediately reviewed and raised to 70 years for consultants and 65 years for other health employees.We implore the government to promptly settle any outstanding disputes with NARD in order to guarantee that government hospitals can promptly resume regular operations and provide the best possible healthcare.

We demand that the security services and the government at all levels take all reasonable steps to protect the safety of our members and other Nigerians while securing the safe and prompt release of those who are presently being held prisoner by kidnappers.

“The current relative industrial harmony within the government hospitals and our medical schools can no longer be guaranteed unless all of these issues are satisfactorily resolved within the next 21 days,” the NEC stated.