The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has called on the strike members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to return to work and complete and process of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between it and the government.
The Minister made the call in a statement on Wednesday.
“It is with deep concern that I view the ongoing strike embark upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which commenced on Monday.
We must remember that the primary duty of doctors and health workers is to save lives. Embarking on strike at this time that the country is battling with the Covid-19 pandemic is ill-time and ill-advised.
“It is a critical time in which all well-meaning medical professionals should close ranks and confront the common enemy, which Covid-19 pandemic threatening mankind.
This is therefore, one strike, too many. Besides, most of the demands have been met, and others though difficult, at the advanced stage of implementation. A little patience would have made a big difference.
“The Federal Ministry of Health finds it necessary to ensure measures to mitigate the effect of this strike on the generality of our populace by directing CMDs/MDs of our tertiary hospitals to immediately ensure that Covid-19 treatment centres should continue to function as before;
emergency services should continue to run as before;
locum staff are to be brought in when and where necessary to forestall services disruption where applicable and affordable.
“I wish to assure the federal government that measures have been put in place to ensure that they continue to access services as all our tertiary hospitals across the country.”
