Health workers under the aegis of the Joint Action Congress (JAC), Federal Medical Centre Lokoja chapter on Thursday suspended their three-month old industrial action embarked upon to press home their demands.
In a press statement by the union, after emerging from a meeting with the management of the hospital, JAC said it suspended the strike after the show of commitment by the hospital management to guarantee and ensure the safety of lives and property of the workers, among other demands.
According to the statement, “this decision is premised on the compliance to our request to guarantee safety of lives and properties among other things that was threatened as a result of attack by unknown hoodlums on the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja and her staff dated 1st of July 2020.”
It however disclosed that the tertiary health institution will resume full services from Wednesday 23rd September 2020.
“We have decided to resume full services on the 23rd of September 2020.”
The statement, jointly signed by the various unions and professional associations, thanked the Minister of Health, Kogi State Government, State House of Assembly, FMC Lokoja Board and security agencies for their intervention, and people of the state for their understanding.
Recall that medical doctors and other health professionals of the facility had on July 1, 2020, embarked on industrial action after the hospital was invaded by hoodlums.
The Kogi State House of Assembly has recently called for the urgent reopening of the medical facility in the interest of the masses.
The House, in a motion of urgent public importance, argued that the continued closure of the health institution was not in the best interest of the people of the state considering the deteriorating health situation of the people of the state, hence called for its immediate reopening.
