The Lagos State government says it is intensifying efforts to resolve issues responsible for the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) in the state.
The permanent secretary, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Ibrahim Mustafa, disclosed this during an interview with journalists on Sunday.
Mr Mustafa said the government recognises the disruption to health services and is prioritising dialogue to restore normal operations across public health facilities.
He explained that several high-level meetings had been convened to examine the demands and agree on practical steps towards resolution.
According to him, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains personally committed to resolving the dispute and restoring industrial harmony within the health sector.
“Some of the demands are not purely financial. They require technical and administrative inputs,” he said. “These are issues that require careful consideration by those managing different levels of healthcare delivery.”
Mr Mustafa said engagement with the unions was ongoing and expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached soon.
“We are meeting them, and we hope to resolve everything in the coming days,” he said.
Reacting, the secretary of JOHESU Lagos council, Adegboyega Kabiawu, said the union had yet to receive a formal invitation for talks.
Mr Kabiawu expressed surprise that the government allowed the impasse to persist, contrary to what he described as its usual proactive disposition.
“When we sensed they were waiting for us to wane, we strengthened our resolve and held firmly to the strike,” he said.
He said the union escalated the matter by involving the two labour centres and the Joint Negotiation Council.
According to Mr Kabiawu, JOHESU formally operated under the organised labour platform to push its demands more forcefully.
“We wrote again to the governor and expected engagement last week,” he said.
Mr Kabiawu said the union believed the issue had been discussed at the State Executive Council meeting held every Monday.
“Unfortunately, we did not receive any invitation for dialogue,” he added.
Explaining the ‘arsenal’ referenced earlier, Mr Kabiawu said the union reduced additional service windows usually kept open during strikes.
“Normally, we do not withdraw services completely during strikes. This time, indifference forced us to suspend services we usually maintain for humanitarian reasons,” he said.
Mr Kabiawu said blood banking services were among those suspended during the strike, leading to acute blood shortages across Lagos, affecting emergency care in public and private hospitals.
“The scarcity was severe, and it affected institutions across the state,” he said.
Mr Kabiawu insisted that JOHESU’s demands were legitimate entitlements rather than privileges.
He listed key demands, including the domestication of consultancy pharmacy, which he described as a federal directive.
Other demands include the creation of medical laboratory service directories, which have been pending since 2014, and improved staff welfare.
He said welfare demands included the provision of staff buses and the payment of retention allowances.
“We cannot remain subservient. We are a distinct profession within the health system. Autonomy does not negate teamwork; it enhances professionalism and service delivery,” he said.
Commenting on the federal government’s ‘no work, no pay’ directive, Mr Kabiawu said it fell within labour law provisions.
He said members were prepared to endure hardship while pursuing what he described as their lawful rights.
Mr Kabiawu cautioned the Lagos State government against adopting the same policy, warning it could worsen the dispute.
“We hope the government will be responsive and not wield a big hammer,” he said.
He explained that the dispute stemmed from collective bargaining agreements on salary structures.
“Once one structure is adjusted, the other should be adjusted correspondingly,” Mr Kabiawu said, describing the failure to do so as inequitable and a clear dispute of rights.
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Mr Kabiawu appealed to members in federal health facilities to remain steadfast despite the hardship.
He also appealed to Lagos residents for understanding, stressing that the strike was not intended to harm patients.
JOHESU members constitute about 85 per cent of health workers nationwide. It is an umbrella body for pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians and medical laboratory scientists.
Other members include optometrists, radiographers, dental therapists and medical physicists. The union also represents health information managers, clinical psychologists and medical social workers.
The strike, which began in Lagos on December 3, has disrupted services at health facilities across the city.
Nurses and doctors have continued attending to patients amid reduced manpower.
The situation may worsen with the nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors from Monday, January 12.
(NAN)
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