Resident Doctors Give FG Ultimatum To Address Health Sector Issues

Resident doctors in Nigeria, appear set for another showdown with the Federal Government, just as they have issued a 16-day ultimatum to the government to address all issues in health institutions.

The doctors made the demand at the 36th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the National Association Of Resident Doctors Of Nigeria, (NARDN), held in Enugu State, southeast Nigeria.
The President of the association, Dr. Ugochukwu Onyebueze, listed 14 strong issues bedeviling the Nation’s Health sector, especially the resurgence of Poliomyelitis and Lassa fever.
Speaking on the residency programme which he said was the backbone of healthcare delivery in tertiary institutions, Dr. Onyebueze also complained about doctors welfare.
“We will increase the campaign on infectious disease control. This is important because people need to live.
“We are going to pay attention to campaign for improved accessibility to healthcare delivery in Nigeria through ensuring and insisting that the National Health Act is fully implemented.
“We feel that there is ineptitude of the government mechanism that is supposed to be responsible for the eradication, awareness and control of these infectious diseases,” he told reporters.

He said many members were being owed remuneration, while many others were victimised by some Chief Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals, who they described as, having a penchant for disorganising the residency programme.
“We also observe the deplorable remuneration of our members in states’ health institutions, with most having to endure many months without salary and others having been confined to irregular emoluments of varied percentages even in the present arduous economic conditions in the country,” the head of the doctor’s association pointed out.
He also lamented over the pitiable state of hospitals across Nigeria, insisting that these issues must be addressed before September 30.