By Ebele Ofodile
As the clock ticks down to September 4, 2025, health workers in Anambra State are set to embark on a strike, citing the state government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) approved by the Federal Government. The Anambra State Organised Health Sector Unions, representing the health workers, claim they have been neglected and marginalized, living in penury despite their crucial role in the healthcare system.
According to the union, the health workers have been demanding full implementation of the CONHESS, which has been approved by the Federal Government since 2010. Additionally, they are seeking enhanced call duty and shift allowance, revised hazard allowance, internship provisions for fresh graduates, and promotion opportunities. The health workers argue that their current salaries are woefully inadequate, with some earning less than N10,000 per day, while artisans and okada riders in the state earn more.
The impending strike is expected to affect all state and local government-owned hospitals, potentially putting thousands of patients at risk, including those in intensive care units and pregnant women. Health workers warn that the strike will not only affect them but also ordinary citizens who depend on the healthcare system daily.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, has claimed that the government has granted two out of three demands made by the health workers. However, the union insists that their demands have not been met. The Commissioner has urged the health workers to be patient, stating that the government is working to ensure better remuneration for the health workers.
As the deadline draws near, patients and stakeholders are anxiously waiting to see how the situation unfolds. Will the government meet the health workers’ demands, or will the strike go ahead, disrupting healthcare services across the state? Only time will tell.
