THE Nigerian Union of Pharmacists, Medical Technologists and Professionals Allied to Medicine (NUPMTPAM) has urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to resolve the discrimination between its members and Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

NUPMTPAM added that the implementation of the recommendations of the 2010 presidential committee on harmony in the health sector would go a long way in guaranteeing industrial peace in the sector.

Union President Felix Faniran told reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, that "there is real neo-colonialism in the health sector by the NMA. The discriminatory salary structure between the NMA and other unions in the sector is causing a lot of ill-feeling.

"We call on NASS and the President to take serious interest in the sector in general to know the reasons behind our agitations. As long as the agitations persist, we might not be able to guarantee industrial peace in 2012.

His words: "The federal ministry of health is structured in favour of members of the NMA. Federal government should as a matter of urgency restructure the ministry to carry other practitioners along. Also the appointment of ministers has always tilted towards NMA.

"So long as this continues, there cannot be any transformation. In a democracy where other health workers cannot rise to the position of directors due to regimentation of the NMA is too dangerous for the sector.

"We are assessing the state of the nation and we can categorically say that the Boko Haram menace is over stretching the few health facilities in the country.

"The manpower that is ill-motivated is under pressure. We want government to carry out intelligent research to uncover the perpetrators of the spate of bombings in parts of the country.

"The health services in this country are in serious crisis. The number of experts in the sector is seriously under produced, while many are checking out of the country. The human resource available is being impoverished by one group."