KANO – The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Kano has announced that medical practitioners in the state will continue their duties despite the ongoing nationwide strike organized by labor unions.
The strike has led to the shutdown of banks, hospitals, airports, and government offices across the country. Organized labor initiated the indefinite strike in response to the Federal Government’s refusal to meet their demand for a N494,000 minimum wage.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the proposed N494,000 national minimum wage, which totals N9.5 trillion, would destabilize the economy and jeopardize the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians.
Despite last-minute interventions by the National Assembly leadership, the unions have mobilized their affiliates nationwide to join the strike.
Speaking to newsreportersng.com on Monday, Dr. Abdurrahman Ali, Secretary of the NMA in Kano, clarified the association’s stance. “We are a professional body and we are not part of NLC, so we are not embarking on any strike action,” he said. “All doctors and medical practitioners will be on duty at their various hospitals. This may not be 100 percent, but we are not part of it. Of course, you may go there and discover that the person to bring out your file is also away, but our members are on the ground.”
Reports from Daily Trust indicate that patients at some public hospitals are stranded as most units provide only skeletal services amidst the ongoing strike.
