NAN-H-
Strike
Abeokuta, Sept. 5, 2017 (NAN)Members of the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre in Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun, have fully complied with the indefinite strike directive given by its national body.
NAN reports that some of the patients there were being attended to by consultants and graduate doctors who are members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The FMC President of the Association, Dr Taiwo Babajide, said that the chapter would comply the directives from its national body to the letter.
He said this while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
“The level of compliance with the directive from National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) here is 100 percent and we have decided to stay in line with our parent body”.
He disclosed that the agitation of the doctors had been on for years and wondered why the Federal Government had been paying lip service to the plights of NARD
According to him, there is no reason for doctors to keep to working in an environment that is not conducive, adding that they have been working without proper equipment.
He disclosed that the Federal Government would meet them again on Wednesday.
Babajide wondered why the Federal Government refused to put the Resident Doctors on the Integrated Payroll Payment System (IPPS).
“It is not something I am happy to talk about because our services have been withdrawn as resident doctors.
“Patients have gone through a lot of hardships; probably some might have to go to general hospitals or private hospitals around town.
” But the summary of the whole issue is that when you come to an hospital and the greater percentage of the doctors are not at work, the tendency is that it will affect service delivery,” he said.
Babajide, who said the issue had dragged for too long, appealed to the Federal Government to look into the doctors’ grievances.
“We’ve dialogue with the Federal Government and sat on round table couple of times. This issue has been on for years and this present issue (inclusion on IPPS) that resulted into strike has been on for months and the Federal Government has paid lip service to what is being agitated for.
“The issue is not a local problem, it is directed against the Federal Government”.
“Residency is not only about training, they (Resident doctors) undergo training, conduct researches and service delivery but the Federal Government have forgot to remember that. The service part of it is what we are being paid for.
“The FG should do the needful. The communique we handed to the Federal Government indicates the issues. The Federal Government should do the needful and then we can reach an agreement,” he added.
The Medical Director of the Centre, Prof. Adewale Abdul-Samiu Musa, however appealed to the striking doctors to resume work, saying that he did not want the centre to record the death of any patient due to the strike.
He said the hospital was coping with their absence, stressing that consultants and NYSC doctors were on ground to attend to the patients.
Musa sais, “The resident doctors absence is being felt; they are quite important when we consider the amount of work they do.
“I think the resident doctors should find a common place to dialogue with the Federal Government and return to work.
“I believe the Federal Government will definitely listen to their demands but it will be wrong if the patients die before they return to work. So my appeal is that they should quickly resp turn to work, “he said. (NAN)
YAF/AAB/PAD
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Edited by Adeboye Ajayi/Peter Dada