Professor Isaac Adewole: Health minister

The Federal Government ordered the sack of all striking members of National Association of Resident Doctors on Tuesday with a directive to Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors to immediately to do fresh recruitment to fill positions left vacant by medical personnel who according to it “have abandoned their training programme by refusing to report for work.”

Boade Akinola, director of media, Federal Ministry of Health said in a statement that the order to immediately replace striking doctors was contained in a circular sent to all the Medical Directors and Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government owned tertiary health institutions by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole.

The circular, according to her,  was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Amina Shamaki and sent to the CMDs’ and MDs of the Federal Tertiary Health Institutions

The circular, as reproduced in Mrs Akinola’S statement, “It has come to the notice of the Management of the Ministry that some Resident Doctors in your establishment have voluntarily withdrawn from the Residency Training Program by refusing to report for training without authorization.

“Public Service Rule, PSR 030402 (e) is relevant. This is in spite of the ongoing negotiations on their demands put forward by the representatives of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association.

“In view of this development, you are hereby directed to replace all the Doctors that have withdrawn their services, with others from the pool of applicants for the training programs in the various disciplines in order not to create ominous gap in training with attendant disruption of health care delivery in your facility.”

“Meanwhile, the Ministry is working with the panel on the review of the Residency Training Program in Nigeria, led by Professor Wole Atoyebi, the Registrar of the National Postgraduate Medical College, to fast-track the development of a comprehensive blueprint for postgraduate training of doctors in the country.”

“Please, ensure immediate compliance.”

President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Mohammed Askira had on Monday, disclosed that the association will embark on a nationwide strike starting from today.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Askira said the strike was inevitable as the government has failed to respond to respond to the demands put before it by its members.

“NARD had to painstakingly wait till the one week period of Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Jos before a final action was streamlined.”

“This strike did not only become necessary but inevitable, going by the gross levity shown by the FMoH in handling our legitimate demands.”

“As a body with human face, not ignorant of the negative effects of industrial actions, NARD went ahead and gave two weeks window to enable government to intervene.”

“Luckily, the Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly swiftly intervened and appealed for a week’s grace before the nationwide action which was graciously granted.”

“However, the June 14 meeting could not hold because the leadership of the FMoH was not able to attend. Consequently therefore, we are now forced to embark on this avoidable indefinite nationwide strike.”

“Initially, we gave government 21 days ultimatum from April 4th and the minister of health promised to intervene and resolve the matter before the end of the ultimatum.”

“Few days later, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and NARD visited President Muhammadu Buhari, who then assured us that this government is ready to honour all signed agreements reached with previous administration.”

“Our independent inquiry revealed that no significant progress was made; even the items that could be handled at the level of the FMoH were not really done.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan had also in 2013 ordered a similar strike of all resident doctors following a prolonged strike by their members in federal hospitals across the country.

But the mass sack was later rescinded following interventions of different stakeholders in the health sector.