The National Association of Resident Doctors has urged the Federal Government to urgently wade into the lingering crises in the health sector to avert impending strike by doctors.
NARD had issued a three-week strike notice that would lapse on January 2, 2017.
The Public Relations Officer, NARD, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa branch, Dr. Ugoeze Asinobi, said on Monday that the doctors had shelved the planned strike three times in the past four months and were bent on going on strike as from January 2.
Resident doctors are agitating for a uniform template for the Residency Programme, infrastructure for tertiary health facilities, proper grading of doctors and payment of outstanding salaries, among other issues.
Asinobi said, “We don’t want strike, but we are going to resort to it again. The Residency Programme is fundamental to effective health care given the dearth of manpower as the country has less than 20 per cent of required experts.
“Each time the ultimatum expired, we shift it in the hope that things will be made right within the time given, but it is now obvious the Ministry officials are insincere.
“The issues we go on strike for are always the same issues and we are resolute to withdraw services come January 2, 2017 if our concerns are not addressed..
“One wonders if health ministry officials are sabotaging the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari on purpose as their brazen and blatant disregard to the most basic institutional needs of the major workhorses of the health sector leaves a lot to be desired.
“Their attitude leaves one bewildered as sabotage appears to be the only logical explanation.”
He noted that officials of Federal Ministry of Health were playing politics with the lives of Nigerians as they were insensitive and disconnected from the realities the masses were facing in their daily lives.
Asinobi said that NARD frowned on the wastage in building new primary health centres rather than rehabilitating, equipping and staffing existing ones with requisite manpower.
The NARD spokesman explained that resident doctors had always embraced dialogue and discussions in finding lasting solution but regretted that their commitment to peace and industrial harmony had yet to be reciprocated.
He said that the present executive of NARD remained committed to end the myriad of incursions adversely affecting the welfare of resident doctors.
He appealed to the Federal Government to wade into the industrial dispute in the overall interest of the welfare of the citizenry.
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