By peter okutu
THE Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Ebonyi State chapter, on Tuesday, embarked on indefinite withdrawal of medical services from the state, saying the action was a result of the  government’s  refusal to  pay Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS to medical doctors.

Chairman of the Association in the state, Dr. Johnson Obuna, noted that the indefinite withdrawal of medical services by all its members in all health facilities and hospitals will continue until the government implements CONMESS.

He regretted the hardship the action would cause the  masses of the state, adding that the Association believed that the industrial action could have been prevented if government had given them a listening ear.

He said: “This withdrawal will affect Ebonyi State University, EBSUTH, Abakaliki, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, all mission hospitals, all health centres, all private hospitals, all maternity centres owned by doctors, South East Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, any health facility and hospital where a doctor works.

“The non-implementation of CONMESS by the government of Ebonyi State has led to the mass exodus of highly trained medical professionals from the state, threatening total collapse of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, EBSUTH, non-functionality and moribund nature of the General Hospitals and Health centres.”

“The total collapse of EBSUTH will eventually end in the loss of the Medical school as well as the Nursing and Medical laboratory science schools which are dependent on the existence of EBSUTH. He added.

Dr. Obuna, appealed to the Governor Elechi to expedite action on the implementation of CONMESS to medical doctors and save the good people of Ebonyi from the trauma of staying without medical services even as the strike would lead to preventable deaths