LASG, Doctors Should Come To A compromise

A few weeks ago doctors in government hospitals in Lagos State embarked on a strike over increase in salary and other allowances. But the state government has met the barrage of accusations with its own answers to why it cannot pay what the medical practitioners are demanding.

The Lagos State House of Assembly, which ought to have waded into the matter, is also divided on the decision of the Lagos State government and tempers have been on the rise. While the majority of the lawmakers believe the doctors’ demands were excessive, others felt slighted that the state government reacted to the decision without consulting them.

While the Lagos State government has explained why it cannot pay the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, approved for doctors at the federal level, the medical practitioners have replied that it is not prepared to entertain the state government’s excuses. And now, we have a stalemate. The doctors have spoken and the government is not ready to listen.

Already, Lagosians, who cannot afford the cost of going to private hospitals are moving to other states while others are quietly dying in their homes.

While the striking doctors need to remember the Hipporatic oath, our elected government officials need to think about their oath of office too.

When two elephants fight, the grass suffers. This problem is not so difficult that we allow people to die unnecessarily. Let the doctors and the Lagos State government come to a round table and talk.

We believe this problem is not insurmountable. This is something we can talk about and solve in a few hours. Must we behave like backward people who have to use sticks and clubs to solve a simple problem? Are the answers to these problems in weapons and confrontation?

As the doctors head to the Industrial Court in Ikoyi to challenge their dismissal by the state government, we urge the policy makers, leaders of thought and other stakeholders to wade into the matter and do something urgently to save the Lagos state healthcare system from being totally destroyed.