Benue doctors strike ill-motivated, says FMC head

  The management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Makurdi has faulted the warning strike by doctors in Benue, “ill motivated and indefensible." Nigerian Medical Association in Benue went on a seven-day warning strike on Tuesday over what it described as the inability of the state government and management of FMC to meet the demands […]

  The management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Makurdi has faulted the warning strike by doctors in Benue, “ill motivated and indefensible."

Nigerian Medical Association in Benue went on a seven-day warning strike on Tuesday over what it described as the inability of the state government and management of FMC to meet the demands of doctors.

But in a swift reaction on Wednesday, medical director of FMC, Dr. Inunduh Peteru, flayed the action of NMA for declaring a strike on issues involving its affiliates without the affiliates declaring a dispute.

"Could it have been right if national NMA has directed Benue doctors to go on strike without Benue NMA declaring a dispute with the state government on local issues. It is clear that the strike is ill motivated and indefensible," he said.

Peteru had earlier noted that the affiliates of NMA are Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) and Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), adding that as far as the FMC, Makurdi was concerned, there was no dispute between it and the two bodies.

He posited that the normal tradition for ARD and MDCAN where there are any dispute at all was to engage management and in the event of a deadlock, then the NMA would intervene to take over negotiation, stressing that it was only when such efforts failed to yield desired results that the a strike is declared.