The federal government has identified recurring strikes in the country’s health sector as a major threat to efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq  Salako, said this at the 65th National Council on Health meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday.

The event, hosted by the Borno State Government, underscored the collective responsibility of ensuring accessible and equitable healthcare for all Nigerians.

Mr Salako, who emphasised that frequent industrial action by health workers disrupted services and undermined the health system, added that the action also hindered progress on critical reforms aimed at improving healthcare delivery.

He urged health workers, particularly those currently on strike, to call off the action, stressing that many of the issues driving the strikes were being addressed.

He also called for robust mechanisms to prevent future strikes, stressing the need for dialogue and collaboration among the federal and state governments, health unions and other stakeholders to ensure stability and progress in the sector.

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria on November 18 declared a seven-day warning strike over the alleged government’s failure to take significant steps in addressing its demands.

However, in spite of the ongoing strike by MDCAN members, health services are still being rendered in some hospitals in Abuja, the nation’s capital city, and Lagos State.

While the strike has disrupted elective services in some facilities, findings showed that emergency and critical care remain operational as hospitals mitigate the impact of the industrial action.

The strike, which commenced in Nigerian universities and hospitals in the early hours of Monday, November 18, is expected to continue until November 24, unless the federal government intervenes.

MDCAN is an association of medical and dental consultants who are specialists in various fields of medicine and dentistry, holding the highest qualifications in their professions.

Their responsibilities include training medical doctors, providing specialist healthcare services to patients, and conducting research across medical fields.

MDCAN’s members work in government and non-governmental hospitals, as well as tertiary and secondary health facilities nationwide.

(NAN)