Yahaya Idris Ahmed, Lafia.
The speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, has appealed to the striking health workers to return to work and help in the fight against COVID-19 and other health demands of the citizens.
Balarabe Abdullahi told newsmen on Monday that strike can only cause more harm than good, hence the need for an effective round table discussion among parties to bring the matter to an end once and for all.
The Speaker directed the House Standing Committee on Health to call an emergency meeting with the commissioner of Health, Chief Medical Director Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia and Heads of all government health agencies to include Hospital Management Board and State Primary Healthcare Development agency as well as the leadership of all the aggrieved unions.
Speaker Balarabe Abdullahi emphasized that the round table negotiation is necessary to hear from all the parties involved and bring the matter to an end totally as according to him, the health situation in the state at the moment does not warrant any strike, hence the need for collective sacrifices by all parties involved.
The Speaker noted that both the government and the unions must;
shift grounds in the interest of peace, development and the general health situation of the state and its people, while the assembly will stand as a neutral party that will see to the success of the agreements.
“I am appealing to the striking health workers to return to work in order to save the state from the pandemic and improve on the health of the people of the state
“His Excellency, Gov. Abdullahi Sule is doing his best to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, improve on the general health sector, hence the need of my appeal for health workers to return to work,” he said.
The state number three citizen said that the absence of health workers at the hospitals is dangerous, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic as it will also pose a threat to other sectors considering the fact that health is wealth.
” Returning to the negotiating table by the health workers and government representatives will not only end the strike but will also improve on the standard of living of health workers and improve on the health of the people of the state through enhanced service delivery ” he said
The speaker restated the commitment of the assembly to continue to pass laws and resolutions that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state
It would be recalled that health workers in the state embarked on strike demanding for their promotions, annual increment, COVID-19 hazard allowance, minimum wage among others.
