By Asmau Ahmad
The Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to develop single-spine salary structure for healthcare practitioners.
The group made the call in a statement jointly signed by its National Chairman and National Secretary, Mr Olabode Ogunjemiyo and Mr Oladele Obikoya, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state on Tuesday.
It also urged the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to embrace modern medicine and jettison “medieval” era practice.
It noted that the single-spine salary structure for practicing health professionals in Nigeria would usher in permanent industrial harmony in the health sector.
The association decried the prolonged professional rivalry between NMA and other health workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
It therefore appealed to the federal government to initiate one single-spine salary regime for all health workers in the country.
The initiative, the association stated, would be based on the February 2008 Job Evaluation Report in the health sector submitted by the Inter-agency Committee.
The group added that the report prescribed a salary relativity ratio of 10 is to 8.57 is to 7.12 between medical doctors and pharmacists/other health professionals and others respectively.
It also stated that the single-spine salary model had been adopted by Ghana for its health workforce.
According to the statement, the initiative has engendered peace, harmony and stability in the sector with an attendant better health index.
It condemned NMA’s reaction to the recent 15 days ultimatum and commencement of an indefinite strike notice to the federal government by JOHESU.
The statement alleged that NMA had described some of the demands of JOHESU as “inappropriate and capable of violating existing agreement between it and the Federal Government, which could plunged the health sector into needless labour unrest.”
The group’s demands include: an upward review of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, non-discriminatory hazard allowance, implementation of consultancy cadre for pharmacists.
It also demanded the promotion of hospital-based consultants to Chief Executive Officers of tertiary hospitals.
The statement partly reads: “The NMA is challenging the position of JOHESU on residency training programme for its members and creation of Consultant Pharmacist cadre.
It added that the NMA had contended the position of JOHESU, claiming that the association was not aware of any residency training programme in teaching hospitals, specialist hospitals and federal medical centres.
