The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face industrial action.
The association made this known in a communique on Tuesday at the end of its extraordinary National Executive Council meeting (NEC), which was held virtually.
The communique was signed by its President, Dr Victor Makanjuola, and Secretary-General, Dr Yemi Raji.
The communique read, “This error has resulted in the complete exclusion of the clinical lecturers (Honorary Consultants) from benefitting from the upward review.
“The commencement date for the new circular was agreed to be January 1, 2023, rather than June 1, 2023.
“We believe this error will be corrected without delay. The recent upward review of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) did not take into consideration the consequences of the fuel subsidy removal and exponential inflation that has pervaded our socio-economic space in the past three months.
“Despite our association’s decision to keep faith with the engagement and negotiations with the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission for more than two years regarding the correction of the shortfalls in remuneration for Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants), the issue is yet to be conclusively addressed by the Federal Government.”
The council said the government has failed to resolve the ongoing disputes with the National Association of Residents Doctors and its attendant impacts on access to health care by Nigerians and the kidnapping of doctors in the country.
They, however, demand the immediate review of the newly revised CONMESS circular and issuance of a new brochure that would reflect the agreed percentage on both the Basic Salary and other allowances, apart from hazard allowance.
According to them, the review will ensure that the clinical lecturers will benefit from the upward review.
Other demands include “A call for the correction of the error of commencement of the implementation of the upward review of CONMESS from June 1, 2023, to January 1, 2023.
“The upward review of the CONMESS should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.
“A demand for the immediate implementation and circularisation of the agreed modalities for correcting the shortfalls in remunerations of Clinical Lecturers (Honorary Consultants).
”An appeal for the universal applicability of CONMESS to all medical and dental doctors, particularly those in public universities.”
