NMA Orders Doctors To Embark On An Indefinite Sit-At-Home Strike

The Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos State has directed its members to immediately embark on an indefinite ‘sit-at-home’ strike starting from 6.00p.m on Wednesday over alleged harassment and intimidation of medical workers by security agents in the state.

The association gave the directive in a joint statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr Saliu Oseni and Dr Ramon Moronkola, respectively in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that to strengthen compliance of the curfew, the police in Lagos on Tuesday mounted road blocks in different parts of Lagos by 8.00p.m.

They also allegedly arrested some people, including essential workers that were presumed to have flouted the curfew directive.

The NMA leaders said that their decision was as a result of the conflicting directives by the state government and law enforcement agents on the status of essential workers, including doctors and other health workers.

The doctors also said that their action was necessitated following incessant harassment of healthcare workers in Lagos by the security agents.

“As a direct result of the conflicting directives of the government and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, the Lagos State branch of Nigerian Medical Association was inundated yesterday (Tuesday) evening of several cases of harassment and intimidation of doctors and other health workers by officers and men of the Lagos State Police Command to the extent that even ambulances carrying patients with emergency cases were impounded. This has become a recurrent issue".

“The Lagos State Branch of the NMA has resolved that it is presently unsafe for its members to continue to provide healthcare services under the present confused arrangement.

“We resolve that all doctors under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos to proceed on a sit-at-home starting from 6.00p.m today, May 20, indefinitely.