By PETER OKUTU
ABAKALIKI— Ebonyi State chapter of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, weekend, suspended the industrial action it embarked upon some weeks ago till February 28 to allow for more detailed and result-oriented dialogue with the state government.

This was the resolution reached by the Association during its emergency general meeting held in Abakaliki to examine the circumstances surrounding the ongoing strike, relevance and impact made so far by the Technical Committee set up by the state government.

The strike, which came into being, owing to directives from the Association’s national body mandating states yet to implement the Consolidate Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, and Consolidated Health Workers Salary Structure, CONHESS, to do so, had led to breakdown of adequate medical supplies to patients across the state.

Speaking immediately after the Association’s emergency general meeting, Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr. Johnson Obuna, warned that if after the February 28th extension of the suspended strike, the state government still remained unwavering in the payment of the new salary structure to medical doctors, the Association would be left with no other option than to recommence the strike.

He stressed that NMA in the state was not prepared to compromise the objectives behind the strike, even as he appealed to all those involved in the preparation of CONMESS/CONHESS to work hard to ensure its smooth implementation.

He said:  “The Association has decided to give the Ebonyi State government enough time to February 28, 2011, to pay CONMESS/CONHESS.

“If after that date CONMESS/CONHESS is not paid to doctors/health workers in the state, the Association should no longer be held responsible for resuming the suspended strike. We are not ready to shift ground any longer after February 28, 2011.”

“We want to appeal to all involved in the preparation and implementation of CONMESS/CONHESS to expedite action to avert throwing the entire state into another strike by all doctors in the state.”

Obuna, assured the governor of the state, Martin Elechi, of the Association’s unalloyed support towards the development of the health sector, adding that with the caliber of doctors in the state, no medical issues stood the chance of being unattended to.