The Assembly of Healthcare Professionals has declared a seven-day warning strike over the state government’s failure to address its demands for improved allowances and salary adjustments fully.

The assembly’s chairman, Ibrahim Balange, announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the strike would begin at midnight on 14 October.

The unions under the assembly include the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP).

Mr Balange said the assembly issued a seven-day strike notice to the government on 7 October, but the expiration of the notice did not yield satisfactory resolution of the outstanding issues.

He said the struggle for improved allowances began in 2024, when the state government indicated its intention to review the benefits of healthcare professionals in line with what is obtained in the federal government service.

According to him, the workers were shortchanged during the implementation of the minimum wage, prompting them to complain that the salary table approved for their members differed from what they were being paid.

He said a committee was later established to investigate the matter and made recommendations in March 2025, but the government had not yet implemented them.

Mr Balange explained that the workers were later engaged by the Office of Public Service Reform, which offered them 10 per cent of the difference between their salaries and those of their counterparts in federal institutions.

He said the assembly rejected the offer and issued a three-week ultimatum to the government, which was later extended by one week following further engagements.

According to him, the workers suspended plans to commence a strike on 7 September after some stakeholders intervened and promised to address their concerns.

He, however, said the assembly was later informed that the governor had approved a 15 per cent increment, only five percentage points higher than the previous offer.

Mr Balange expressed dissatisfaction that the assembly was not involved in preparing the salary adjustment table or determining the increment before the decision was communicated to it.

He said the assembly demanded full implementation of the allowances and salary structure applicable to healthcare professionals in the federal government service, but had indicated its willingness to accept 75 per cent as a compromise.

“Some of our members have not even agreed to 75 per cent, but we have to look at the matter holistically and consider how to move forward,” he said.

Mr Balange warned that the disparity in remuneration could undermine the state’s healthcare system, noting that Katsina had previously been regarded as one of the states with relatively attractive healthcare employment conditions.

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He said the assembly remained open to negotiations with the government but insisted on improving the allowances to ensure fairness and retain healthcare professionals in the state.

The chairman said the assembly would reconvene after the seven-day warning strike to review the outcome and decide on next steps.

He warned that failure to reach an agreement with the government could lead to an ultimatum for an indefinite strike, adding that the industrial action was being undertaken in accordance with labour laws.

Mr Balange apologised to the government and the public for any inconvenience the strike might cause, while reaffirming the assembly’s commitment to protecting its members’ welfare and professional interests. (NAN)

Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, involving a 39-year-old man who developed symptoms while in quarantine, 10 days after the country’s first confirmed patient died.

The development comes barely a week after PREMIUM TIMES reported Kenya’s first imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In a report by the BBC, the second patient was identified as a close relative of the first case and developed symptoms on Tuesday, 13 October, while already in quarantine under health authorities’ monitoring.

The Kenyan Ministry of Health said the two cases were linked and there was no evidence of transmission in the wider community.

Contact tracing continues

The first patient, a 40-year-old Kenyan man who had travelled from the DRC through Uganda, died on 5 October after testing positive for Ebola in Nairobi.

As previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES, his infection raised concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission and prompted Nigeria to review its preparedness for a possible imported case.

Following the second confirmation, Kenyan health authorities continued efforts to trace people who had contact with the first patient.

Of the 128 contacts identified, 113 had been located as of Tuesday, including 108 who were in quarantine in Kenya. Efforts to trace the remaining 15 contacts were continuing.

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The health ministry said the early detection of the second case had improved the patient’s chances of recovery and reduced the risk of further transmission.

It advised residents to seek prompt medical attention if they developed fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding.

Ebola

Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause serious illness and death. It spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or the body of someone who has died from the disease.

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, meaning symptoms can develop several weeks after exposure.

The current outbreak in the DRC is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus. The outbreak has also been linked to cases reported in other countries, including Uganda.

Unlike some other Ebola virus species, Bundibugyo has no specifically approved vaccine or treatment. However, supportive medical care can improve a patient’s chances of survival.