Tag Archives: Resident doctors

Resident doctors end warning strike, give FG 21-day ultimatum

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The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday ended its seven days warning strike, and gave the federal government 21 days ultimatum to meet its demands.

John Onyebueze, president of the association, made this known in an interview NAN.

The doctors had embarked on a 7-day warning strike on January 18. Their demands border on welfare, revamping decay infrastructure and equipment in the government-owned health institutions, provide quality and affordable healthcare to the populace.

Others include immediate implementation of the National Health Act, 2014, release of the template and implementation of white paper on residency training programme.

“At the moment, we are still where we are, none of our demands have been met by the government, but the last time we met with the government officials they made some promises,” he said.

“So, we are giving the federal government another 21 days ultimatum now to see those promises translating into action.

“They cannot just tell us that they have set up machinery to implement the National Health Act, 2014 without actions.

“Between now and the 21 days we have given, if we do not see the committee working or implementing the National Health Act that means it’s a mere promise.

“On the other issues regarding welfare, the government also made some promises which of course they have been making since 2013.

“What we are waiting for is for those promises to translate into action.”

 

Source: The Cable

Resident Doctors Demand Implementation of National Health Act

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Resident doctors at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria and National Eye Centre Kaduna are calling for the quick implementation of the National Health Act by the Federal Government, and rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructure in government’s tertiary hospitals.

Addressing a joint press conference, President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ABUTH chapter, Dr Sokomba Aliyu, said the call has become necessary as it will not only regulate the National Health system, but also eliminate quackery and provide basic health funds.

Other demands made by the association include the implementation of a uniform template for residency training in the country, full implementation of corrected CONMESS for state doctors and immediate enrollment of all residents on the IPPISIS platform.

They say delay in implementing the Act, signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2014, is putting the health of the people at risk.

“The Association of Resident Doctors have come to a cross road and where it has to make certain changes to guarantee its future, to maintain the integrity of the profession. Top among our plight is the decision by the FMOH to fragment, disintegrate and eventually destroy the Residency Training Programme.

“Following the agitation by NARD for the release of a uniform template for Residency training in Nigeria, the Ministry decided to distort the programme by planning to split it and enforcing compulsory exit half way into the programme against the recommendation of a committee, set up topresent a uniform template on that. This is completely unacceptable to NARD.

The second is the non implementation of National Health Act 2014. The NHA was passed into law in 2014, two years later, it is yet to be implemented, the Act is supposed to regulate the National Health System, eliminate quacks and provide basic health fund. This is yet to see the light of the day two years , since its enactment.

“Infrastructure is generally dilapidated or not even available at various centres across the states. Tertiary hospitals have not employed doctors for some years now.

“In conclusion, what NARD is saying is that the Federal Government should mandate the FMOH to release a unified template for residency training in Nigeria, implement the NHA, 2014, and immediate enrollment of all residents on the IPPISIS platform”.

“The NHA Act guarantees that at least 1% of consolidated federal revenue be committed to a Basic Health Care Provision Fund, in same manner as 2% of total budget goes to the Education Trust Fund”.

Dr Ibrahim Abubakar of the National Eye Centre Kaduna, laments that despite the exit and retirement of doctors over the years, no replacement was made to fill the vacuum, a situation which he says affects the profession negatively.

The resident doctors warned that further punitive measures would be considered if nothing was done immediately by the Federal Ministry of Health to address the issues raised.

FG Suspends Sack Of Resident Doctors, Negotiations Continue

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The federal government wednesday suspended the sack of members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) pending the conclusion of the ongoing negotiations on the matter. This was part of the resolutions reached at the mediatory meeting initiated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, between the federal government delegation and leaders of NARD.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, was quoted to have suspended the sack as part of the decision taken at the mediatory meeting with NARD.

According to Adewole, “We will do everything humanly possible to implement all the decisions arrived at in this meeting including the fact the circular sacking Resident doctors be ignored by all the parties concerned.” At the meeting, it was reported that the “Ministry of Health was to come up with list of those entitle to skipping and the amount and when they will pay  them in one week. Forty two institutions that have not been implementing skipping should be asked to commence implementation immediately. 

“Committee of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) to meet in one week and implement skipping by June and any CMD that is unable to pay should appear at the next meeting on July 14. The judgment of the Industrial Court must be executed.

“That by first week of July, guidelines on Residency Training will be made available.”

Part of the resolutions also include “entry point for House Officers should be from Commess 9 step 4. Or 1 step 1. It should be implemented immediately by the CMD. They should also start implementing pensions immediately Resident Doctors Association to make available records of all those sacked unfaily to the ministry of Health. Minister of Health should issue circular to CMDs to review the issue of those sacked unfairly without recourse to the earlier circular detailing the template to be followed. Circular to be send out on June 22, 2016, by the minister to all health institutions and Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) running the Residency programme.”

The issue of FMC Owerri, Imo State, was also revisited, as NARD “appealed to minister to take a second look at it since doctors did not declare strike abinitio.”

The government also wednesday appealed to members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) to return to work as there was no need to embark on the strike given that negotiations were still ongoing.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in a statement argued that the decision by JOHESU to strike did not followed all procedural channels before such could be taken.

Credit: Thisday

Resident Doctors Suspend Strike

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The leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has agreed to suspend its strike at a meeting with other health sector stakeholders on Tuesday.

The Association’s leadership also appealed to members to suspend the strike until the next meeting scheduled for July 14.

The decision emanated from the meeting between resident doctors and other stakeholders, organised by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogàra in Abuja.
The meeting will reconvene in three weeks to review progress made in the implementation of agreements reached in the meeting slated for July

Credit: NAN

Resident Doctors Threaten Strike In FCT

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Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, yesterday accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, of taking action capable of provoking doctors to resume their suspended strike by ignoring their demands.

In a press statement issued by president of the association, Dr. Isaac Akerele, the doctors said that they had “been doing everything possible to avert industrial action but the attitude of the government is disheartening to the association.”

Akerele described the actions and inactions of the FCTA as ‘‘deliberate to cause tension in the health sector.”

Read More: nationalmirroronline

Obasanjo persuaded us to call off strike – UCH Resident doctors

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After 105 days of strike, resident doctors of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, returned to work on Monday after former President Olusegun Obasanjo had intervened.

The President of the association in the UCH, Dr. Lukman Ogunjimi, who thanked the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes for also intervening in the crisis, said Obasanjo invited all major players in the crisis, including those from other affected teaching hospitals in the South-West, for a meeting on August 12, 2015 in Abeokuta, where it was decided that the strike should be suspended.

He said clinical services in the UCH had been hampered by infrastructural collapse, like non-working patients’ elevators, with attending negative health implications for members of staff. Other services, like lack of laboratory materials and disposables, he said, were also there.

He said, “The meeting was facilitated by the first Director of Administration in UCH, Doja Adewolu, who is an Egba High Chief. He was concerned that patients were suffering while the strike continued, just as we were concerned also. The President of the Association of Resident Doctors in the UCH; Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Yaba Psychiatric Hospital; Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta; Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria; medical elders and Chief Medical Directors in all the hospitals were present at the meeting. The former president played a fatherly role and persuaded us to return to work while negotiation continues with the hospitals’ managements.”

Ogunjimi said that at the meeting, the hospitals’ managements agreed that there was a letter from the Ministry of Health concerning skipping and that after expressing commitment to honour it in the next budget, the doctors were compelled to return to work.

“Our management has agreed to start working on our agitations locally while the 2016 budget would capture the monetary aspect. A statement of fact, which UCH management did not deny, is that there was an increase of N940m in the personnel subvention of the hospital. Our stand is that this can be used to pay skipping allowance since payment of salary from personnel subvention can never be referred to as misappropriation, more importantly now that the permanent secretary in the health ministry has expressly reiterated the directive for skipping,” he added.

Source : Punch