OAU medical students’ exams in jeopardy over consultants’ strike

The ongoing warning strike by the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, has disrupted academic activities at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) College of Health Sciences.

There are fears it would jeopardise the final-year medical students’ examinations and the institution’s accreditation.

The strike, which began after a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government expired, stems from grievances about discriminatory practices in appointing university vice-chancellors and the non-implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, for clinical lecturers.

The association, which made specific reference to recent developments in some universities, including Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, demanded the approval of an all-inclusive prototype of advertisement for the office of the Vice-Chancellor.

Giving further insight into the compliance of OAU clinical lecturers to the strike directive in a joint statement on Tuesday, the OAU MDCAN Chairman, Dr. Olufemi Ogundipe, and the General Secretary, Dr. Tajudin Adetunji, said academic activities at the college of Health Sciences of the university had been shut down.

They vowed not to return to work after the conclusion of the current national warning strike until clinical lecturers were placed on CONMESS as is the case in other federal universities.

This is just as the medical college may lose its accreditation status with the National University Commission if the long-standing shortfall in the emoluments of the clinical lecturers as a result of non-implementation of CONMESS is not addressed.

“Our other salient demands include the discriminatory policy against medical fellowship and harmonizing the universal applicability of CONMESS for all medical and dental lecturers. Until these issues are resolved, we cannot resume work.

“We are demanding immediate payment of CONMESS to all clinical lecturers in OAU to save the future of medical education in the foremost citadel of learning,” the association said.

The association highlighted the implications of the strike, particularly the risk of the college losing accreditation if those issues persisted.

“The fate of over 100 final-year medical students hangs in the balance,” the statement added.

A senior consultant, speaking anonymously, noted, “The accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) is due soon, and students’ exams are set for Monday. Without a resolution, the effects on education and accreditation will be dire.”

The MDCAN urged the Federal Government and OAU authorities to urgently address the dwindling fortunes of medical education and the shortage of clinical lecturers.