WorldStage Newsonline-- The Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), the umbrella body of all professional group in country, has waded in to the lingering crisis between the Lagos State Government and Medical Doctors calling for understanding and cooperation.
Specifically, the body has called on the government to rescind and recall the sacked Doctors and also remove the query issued to them.
APBN also wants the government to commence implementation of CONMESS and decide on a stating date with time of implementation.
Besides, the body charged the Doctors to be more circumspect on related matters in future.
President of APBN, Mr. Segun Ajanlekoko, at a press conference in Lagos on Friday said the face-off between the state government and the striking doctors is a source of concern to all stakeholders in the country.
He said the crisis would no good to anybody as the purposes for service to humanity is being denied, leading to avoidable loss of lives and even initiating the process of eventual termination of others.
"We therefore need an intervention very fast. APBN has therefore decided to have look into how we can resolve the issues and find a lasting solution," he said.
Ajanlekoko stated that the outright strike by the doctors' is quite unfortunate and really uncalled for, stating that other method like work to rule could have been adopted whilst consultation and negotiation are being explored.
According to him, the health index states that a doctor/patient ratio globally is 1: 10,000 and that before the crisis the ratio in Nigeria was 1: 33,000 but as changed to 1: 50,000 now due to the crisis.
The APBN boss who said the government have been seen to be more responsive and committed to fulfilling its promises to the citizenry including doctors, urge that they should not be deterred in maintaining this feat in the wake of prevailing challenges posed by the doctors' strike.
Asked on how the body can resolve the crisis, Ajanlekoko said they have met with the doctors who have agreed to concede on some issues and expressed optimism that by the time they meet with the government, hopefully by the weekend, something positive will come out.
Adding that APBN is on reconcilatory ground. He said the body will set up a permanent committee that will look deal exclusively with issue of salary and workers welfare.
"To make Lagos work is our collective responsibilities, both parties should be dispassionate and impartial at resolving the issue. The doctors should be allowed to go back to their duties unconditionally so that meaningful negotiations of the CONMESS can resume, in the interest of the patient/public and to curb the anticipated negative impact on our Health Care Delivery and Health indices," the APBN boss stated.
