The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, on Saturday disclosed that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health and Labour, is engaging labour unions in the health space to resolve their issues, and ultimately end the incessant strikes, industrial disharmony and rancour.
While acknowledging the sacrifice and dedication of the over 400,000 health workers in the country, including community health workers, nurses and midwives, pharmacists, physicians, laboratory scientists, technicians, auxiliaries, he stated that many of them work under very difficult circumstances.
Prof. Pate, therefore, stressed that in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration agenda of renewed hope, his Ministry, in collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, sub-national governments, development partners, and private sector, is working to improve the condition of work and welfare of health workers, so that it can retain those on ground, and possibly attract those that have left.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, Prof. Pate said, “We are blessed to have over 400,000 health workers of different categories in this country. Each of them is a selfless person who is working under difficult circumstances, trying to improve the health of the population. Their intrinsic motivation, despite all the challenges, has delivered some things that are good to our people, and we have to appreciate them, but there is a lot more that we can do in health.
“On the issue of strikes, health workers strike is a major issue – ultimatums, strike actions and lots of rancour. Underlying that rancour is a fundamental erosion of trust between various actors in the space which has occurred over many years and several administrations that were inherited.
“As government, between the Labour Ministry and ourselves, we got right into it, and have met with at least four of the professional associations, and all of those meetings were very constructive because they are all Nigerians, and all share the pain. There is no health worker that will be satisfied with trying to save lives and sitting at home watching people die.
“So, whether it is the Consultants, JOHESU, Midwifery Council, among others, all the health workers associations that we have met acknowledge that we should begin to put the rancour behind us. To do that, we need to build trust among various actors, and there are some specific outstanding issues that have started, which I will say are in the process of being resolved, and some of them have indeed been resolved while we were discussing with them, specifically on September 6, because they have to do with the Salaries and Wages Commission, some of the Heads of Civil Service role, not necessarily the Ministry of Health.”
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa said the Government will digitize the healthcare system in order to achieve better health outcomes for the populace. He also stated that the government will create a research fund, which will be dedicated to research in the medical and health field.
He said, “As part of our digitization of the healthcare system, we’re going to roll out a national electronic medical record where our primary care centres and hospitals will come on the same platform. Then, as we move into the future, we will encourage each state government to come in and use the same platform.”