By Tony Edike
MEDICAL services in all hospitals owned by Enugu State government would be suspended from today as the doctors on the pay roll of the government at the weekend resolved to proceed on an indefinite strike over the state government’s refusal to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, COMESS.

In solidarity with their colleagues in the state health institutions, the doctors working in the federal institutions in the state have also agreed to join the strike from next week Monday to compel the government to implement the new salary scale.

This was the outcome of the emergency general meeting of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Enugu State chapter, held in Enugu weekend.

NMA Chairman in the state, Dr. Kenechukwu Madu, said the action became necessary because “Enugu State government has not employed acceptable means in the resolution of the industrial impasse created by the non-implementation of CONMESS for all doctors in the state.”

Madu warned that the issue of threats of sack to resident doctors at Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (Parklane), Enugu, who had been on strike since the first week of December last year, was not acceptable and should be withdrawn.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting read: “That all doctors under the employment of Enugu State government are hereby directed to proceed on a total and indefinite withdrawal of services with effect from Monday, February 21, 2011.

“That all doctors working in the federal institutions in Enugu State will join the total withdrawal of services with effect from Monday, February 28, 2011.

“That we still encourage Enugu State government to institute constructive dialogue aimed at speedy resolution of this crisis. That we are still committed to a quality health care delivery in Enugu State.”