The Yobe State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has defied the nationwide indefinite strike ordered by Organised Labour.
All tertiary, secondary and primary hospitals across the state were fully functional with medical personnel attending to patients as usual.
Speaking to newsmen on the reason why the Yobe NMA is not joining the industrial action, the state chairman, Dr Abubakar Kaumi Mala, said the association is not an affiliate of NLC.
“We’re not affiliate to the Nigeria Labour Congress. With due respect to the their struggle, we’re brothers in struggle as unionists, but we are not their affiliate.
“The health sector is so critical that we cannot shut it down,” he said.
According to him, all units, departments and every other aspects of the health system are open and accessible to the populace.
“All the healthcare professionals are working right now as all the facilities across the state are opened and they are giving 100% services,” he added.
Mala, however, dispelled rumours that the NMA is romancing with the state government by not joining the industrial action, insisting that members of the association are providing humanitarian services to the people.
“We are not romancing with the government,” he stated.