By Sylvia Akpan
Healthcare delivery at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Calabar, has been brought to a halt as the institution joins the indefinite nationwide strike declared by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and its affiliate bodies.
The shutdown, which took effect from midnight on November 14, has suspended all routine clinical activities, leaving patients stranded. The withdrawal of services, which includes essential personnel such as nurses, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists, is based on a unanimous resolution passed by JOHESU’s Expanded National Executive Council.
Ruth Ekeng writes that the core reason for the severe disruption is the Federal Government’s prolonged failure to implement the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), a flagship demand that has remained unresolved since its initial submission on January 2, 2014.
JOHESU holds that the government violated the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement by unilaterally adjusting the salary structure for medical doctors (CONMESS) while simultaneously neglecting the necessary parallel adjustment for the rest of the health workforce (CONHESS).
According to union representatives, the strike became unavoidable after the Federal Government allegedly reneged on commitments made in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2024, as well as assurances reportedly given by the Presidency in June 2023, leaving the unions with no alternative but to withdraw services.
The concurrent strikes by both JOHESU and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have resulted in a near-total collapse of services across all federal public health institutions. Consequently, all scheduled outpatient appointments, routine follow-up care, and non-emergency admissions at the FNPH, Calabar, are suspended indefinitely. The situation is believe poses a critical challenge to the continuity of specialized mental healthcare provision in the region.
Also, JOHESU has directed its state councils to immediately issue a 15-day strike notice to respective state governments, a measure which signals the imminent expansion of the industrial action to include state-owned health facilities nationwide. The union has formally warned the government and hospital managements against the victimization of any members participating in this dispute of right.
Sequel to this, hospital authorities have urged patients and their relatives to seek urgent clarification from the hospital’s administrative unit or explore alternative private healthcare channels for critical or time-sensitive care, as the restoration of public health services remains entirely contingent upon the Federal Government fully meeting the union’s demands.
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