Resident Doctors Defy FG’s No-work-no-pay Threat
Members of the National Association of Resident Doctors on Monday defied the directive by the Federal Government to resume to their duty post of face sanctions.
The National President of NARD, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, had disclosed that the association would not resume.
A visit round selected hospitals in Abuja on Monday revealed that the resident doctors stuck to their guns.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, our correspondent noticed that patients were left unattended to.
The centre’s spokesperson, Olomofe Kayode, in an interview with our correspondent stated that medical consultants were overstretched.
He said, “We have limited consultants here and they are overstretched. There is no way they can attend to all the patients.
Similarly, a visit to the National Hospital, Abuja also revealed that striking resident doctors refused to show up.
NARD, NASS in six-hour meeting, continue today
Meanwhile, the leadership of NARD on Monday met with the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health, Tanko Sununu; alongside the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora; and some other stakeholders.
The meeting lasted about seven hours.
Okhuaihesuyi told our correspondent that the meeting was adjourned till Tuesday (today).
He said, “The meeting lasted for seven hours. We started at 11am and we ended the meeting by 6pm.
“We discussed issues, including the medical residency funds among others but no consensus has been reached.
“The meeting has been adjourned till tomorrow (Tuesday). We will be meeting tomorrow again by 11am.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on Monday opened an attendance register for the striking resident doctors as directed by the Federal Government.
Recall that the Federal Government had reportedly mandated all chief medical directors in teaching hospitals across the country to open attendance registers with a view to stopping salaries of doctors taking part in the strike called by the NARD.
A circular dated August 9 signed by the LUTH’s Director of Administration, Mr Babajide Grillo, by the hospital management directed the heads of clinical departments to submit the attendance register by 4pm daily.
The circular, titled, ‘Re: Notice of NARD Indefinite Strike Action,’ partly reads, “Further to our circular Ref No: ADM/HRM/Circular/Vol.1/212 dated August 2, 2021, all heads of clinical departments are requested to maintain daily attendance register for resident doctors in line with the Federal Government police of ‘No Work, No Pay.”
As of the time our correspondent visited the hospital, no member of the striking resident doctors have signed the register.
Also, the Presidents of the NARD at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Dr Samuel Aladejare and Dr Ethel Egekun, said the management of their hospitals had not notified them of any attendance register.
