By Chioma Obinna
The end to the on – going indefinite strike embarked upon by the medical doctors under the Lagos State employment may not be in sight as the State Government yesterday said it cannot afford to pay the controversial Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) as demanded by the doctors.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this while briefing journalists on the position of the Government said the state was not part of the negotiating team that agreed on the payment of CONMESS in Abuja.

According to him, “If the Government is going to accede to the demand of the doctors, it would cost the state a hefty  N1.8 billion monthly. With a current population of over 18 million people, a government-owned teaching hospital, tertiary health facilities, 24 general hospitals and 276 functional primary health clinics and a health work force of over  12,000, the burden of implementing this new salary structure in the state is definitely huge . Furthermore, there are other similar demands from other sectors, which the state government has to contend with.”

He said, “Why must striking doctors give government ultimatum to pay CONMESS when the state is not part of the negotiation between Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Federal government. The situation in the state is quite different from that of the federal government. We have a budgetary provision that is different from that of federal government.”