The Federal Government has asked striking resident doctors to resume work as most of the issues they have raised are state affairs.
Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that seven of 12 matters that were raised by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), were the responsibility of state governments. Consequently, he expects the resident doctors to resume work on Friday and take up these issues with the state governments rather than embark on the nationwide strike as they had done.
This is more so, according to him, because the Federal Government has started addressing the five issues it is responsible for. Resident doctors in Nigerian public hospitals started a nationwide strike on Monday, for several reasons including delays in the payment of their salaries and allowances. The strike coincided with a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, leaving many worried that it could have serious consequences for the battle against the third wave of the pandemic.
Dr Ehanire shared the concerns in his briefing on Thursday, telling journalists that the industrial action was crippling the government’s efforts in tackling the resurgence of the pandemic.
