The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has issued a stark warning over what it describes as a looming collapse of the country’s healthcare system. In a statement released over the weekend, the association expressed full support for the 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to the Federal Government.
Signed by the ANPMP President, Dr. Kay Adesola, and Secretary-General, Dr. Gbadebo Adebiyi, the statement raised serious concerns about the government’s continued failure to uphold longstanding agreements with medical professionals. Chief among these grievances are issues of poor remuneration, unacceptable working conditions, and a disregard for collective bargaining agreements.
The ANPMP particularly took aim at a recent circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which they say offers a significantly watered-down review of allowances for federal medical and dental officers one that falls short of expectations and past negotiated terms.
“As a constituent body of the NMA, we cannot remain silent in the face of such disregard,” the group said. “The circular undermines years of negotiation and represents a direct threat to the survival of the health system.”
The association warned that the nation’s health sector is edging dangerously close to collapse, largely due to the ongoing exodus of healthcare professionals. The lack of a viable retention strategy, they added, has left both public and private medical facilities struggling to operate effectively.
“Any strike action by public sector doctors will inevitably worsen the crisis in private hospitals, as both sectors rely on the same dwindling pool of professionals,” the statement read.
According to ANPMP, many doctors across the country are either being pushed to the brink through overwhelming workloads or forced into early retirement. Each round of industrial action, they noted, leads to more health workers leaving the country permanently, exacerbating an already critical brain drain.
The association drew comparisons with developed nations, where healthcare is treated as a priority, backed by systemic investments and human capital development.
“In Nigeria, healthcare remains neglected. That’s why nearly every doctor is considering, or actively planning, to leave,” they stated.
Despite numerous conferences, expert recommendations, and policy proposals addressing brain drain, the ANPMP accused the government of apathy and failure to implement necessary reforms. They called for the urgent implementation of the 18-point demand released by the NMA on July 2, describing it as crucial to saving Nigeria’s health sector from total collapse.
Among those demands are the immediate withdrawal of the contentious circular, full implementation of accumulated professional allowances, correction of salary discrepancies dating back to agreements from 2001 through 2021, and payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund.
Other demands include the immediate reversal of appointments of non-doctors as consultants in public hospitals, proper implementation of clinical duty and excess workload allowances, and an adjustment to the retirement age for doctors.
The ANPMP also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally intervene in the matter, warning that any delay in action could have dire consequences for healthcare delivery nationwide.
They further called on the government to reconstitute and empower governing boards for regulatory institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to ensure effective oversight and transparency.
In closing, the association condemned what it described as the federal government’s “fire-brigade approach” to labour disputes in the health sector.
“You don’t wait until the 20th day of a 21-day ultimatum to start calling for negotiations,” the statement emphasized.
Instead, they urged proactive engagement with health professionals, emphasizing the need to restore trust and re-establish credibility through honest dialogue and the honouring of agreements.
