Joint Health Sector Unions(JOHESU), Statement on Honourable Ministers of Health(Prof. Isaac Adewole) Stand on Health Sectors Salary Structures

It is said by one of the holy books that” the truth shall set you free” and it is also common knowledge that falsehood and lies are forever disappearing things, because whenever the truth appears, falsehood and lies disappear. The falsehood and lies being fed the public by the Honourable Minister is not only condemnable but also disappointing and shocking.

The falsehood and lies being paraded about by the Honourable Minister of Health is that other Health Workers under the Umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions are asking for the same salary with his colleagues ‘the Doctors’. While on a Channels Television program: The Honourable Minister said “the only problem with the ongoing strike by the JOHESU is that the group is asking for the same salary with Doctors” in fact this is a white lie and also an instrument of diversionary tactic. It is unfortunate and sad that the Honourable Minister has decided to abandon the subject matter in contention which is better working condition in the Health Sector and the general improvement of facilities, manpower and services in the sector, rather than face these challenges in the health sector, the Honourable Minister is busying himself as the spokesman for the Nigerian Medical Association.

We want to inform the general public that the Honourable Minister of Health should be “for nobody but for everybody” in the Health Sector, but it is evidently clear that Professor Isaac Adewole is the Minister for Doctors and not for all health workers.

The present crisis in the health sector is as a result of the trivialisation of the cry for justice. The general public must know that at no point in time did JOHESU demand for the same salary scale with Doctors. But the failure of the meetings held on (1). Wednesday, 25th April, 2018, (2). Monday, 30th April, 2018, (3). Thursday, 3′ May, 2018, (4). Wednesday, 9′ May, 2018, (5). Tuesday, 15′ May, 2018, (6). Wednesday, 16th May, 2018, left the health workers with no choice but to take the last but most painful option of continuing the ongoing strike which was preventable, but for self-centred reasons. It is not only important but central to let the general public and stakeholders in the health sector know that a fresh doctor in a government employment earns N312,944.83 per month, that is CONMESS 3 (CONHESS 11). Whereas other health workers, would have to soil and toil for three to nine years before getting to CONHESS 11 which has a take home pay of 8255,184.83 with a differential of N57,760.00 which represents 23% difference (if adjusted from the present earning of 223,345.58). So where lies the truth behind the propaganda that Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) is demanding the same salary structure with doctors. (Please see attached earnings in the health sector).

It is obvious that in Nine years that it takes a health worker to climb to CONHESS 11 where he earns N255,184.83, the doctor has pocketed 86,238,080, if stagnated for the period which is impossible. We want the Honourable Minister of Health to tell the world how on earth could a health worker who enters the public service in Nigeria on CONHESS 9 which is the same as GL 10 and earns N161,670.00 with a proposal to increase to N190,000.00 be the same as a fresh doctor who earns 8312,944.83 at the entry point. This is nothing but a master and servant relationship, in fact worse still, graduate Nurses who handle the bulk of patient care in the hospitals are on GL8, which is CONHESS 7 with a meagre monthly take home of between N97,000 and N118,000 which is almost half of the take home for doctors. In this case who is deceiving who?

The truth is that Doctors are usually the first to talk about international best practices; for the information of the Honourable Minister of Health and his co-doctors it is important to state a case study in Britain our colonial masters. In the wages of health professionals in UK Public Service, a perfect example is the fact that a doctor in the U.K at entry point earns £26,000.00, per annum while a radiographer earners, £23,000.00 per annum. This is what relativity in the salary structure in he Nigeria should look like. JOHESU is therefore appealing to the Federal so Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to restructure the Federal Ministry of Health and the entire health sector A position where the Honourable Minister of Health is a Doctor, the Minister of State for Health is a Doctor, the Director Hospital Services is a Doctor, it and Several other departmental heads in the Federal Ministry of Health s are doctors does not give a clear vision and proper direction for our health system.

Our constant position of allowing professional Health Administrators run our health system is the only solution to the quagmire facing our nation today. We have continued-to do the same thing over the years by allowing doctor to administratively run our health system, and we have continued to have the same result of poor health indices. It is time to make the required change, that change should be now.