COOTH
The Anambra State Organized Health Sector Unions members are already on day 3 of their indefinite industrial action which started on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 after an agreement with the State government failed.
COOTH
The health workers had issued a 15-day ultimatum to Governor Charles Soludo to implement 100 percent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health professionals in the State or they shut down the sector.
Officials of the health professionals
But the 15-day ultimatum had expired, according to the Deputy President, Nigerian Union Allied Health Professionals and Chairman, Anambra State Council of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Comrade Charles Nwoye without the State government fulfilling their promises.
Comrade Nwoye said the State government was even given extra four weeks grace to do the needful, yet could not remedy the situation which left the unions with the only option of shutting down the system.
“We have been in this struggle, pleading with the Anambra State government to scale up the welfare package of the health workers in the State as obtained elsewhere in the country.
“I remember that the CONHESS salary structure was released by the federal government in 2010 and all the federal institutions keyed into it by that 2010.
“Following that order, State governments started domesticating and adopting that for health professionals. But health professionals in Anambra are not facing the the best of condition of service compared to elsewhere in the world.
“That’s the reason health professionals are leaving the country leading to ‘jakpa’ syndrome and even health workers in other States are better off.
“Nigeria is one of the highest producers of health professionals in terms of those who study medical and health courses. But they don’t stay. It’s like we’re producing for other countries.
“Nigeria is replicating the crude oil system where we produce crude oil and send to outside countries and the same is refined and brought back to us.
“It is the same in the health sector, where we train the health manpower at various higher institutions only for us to force them out of the country because we can’t maintain them. They travel overseas, to receive mouthwatering payments and conditions of service.
“They are there useful in their different areas of specialties producing and inventing many things including vaccines and other drugs which their host countries later export to us.
“We’ve been following the government of Governor Soludo requesting the implementation of CONHESS salary structure which almost every State has implemented including Abia, Enugu and Imo States. Health workers in those States enjoy CONHESS salary structure. Only Anambra State remains.
“They selectively implemented Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors and refused to implement that of CONHESS.
“We have no other option than to go on strike to draw the attention of our working Governor.
“It’s the same health professionals that worked hard and earned Anambra State Award which Governor Soludo received as the the best Governor in primary healthcare system. It’s because of our hard work, “Comrade Nwoye concluded.
Meanwhile, activities at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka remain paralyzed.
