On Sunday, Dr. Enema Amodu, Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) FCT branch, pleaded with the Federal Government to resolve the needs of health workers in the country.
He made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja in response to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors’ ongoing strike (NARD).
The resident doctors went on strike on April 1 to press for an increase in their hazard allowance of N5000 and reimbursement of the unpaid COVID-19 inducement allowance, among other demands.
NARD is on strike, according to the branch chairman, over outstanding problems, including danger allowance and health benefits.
He acknowledged that the Federal Government was dealing with other matters, and urged it to treat the doctor’s complaints with the severity they warranted.
Amodu, who claimed that the NMA FCT and, by implication, the NMA national, are in favor of the NARD strike, urged the government and those in charge of negotiations with the union to take the matter seriously.
He urged the government to discuss the COVID-19 grant, doctor health insurance, and other issues that have sparked the strike.
“A lot of issues in the health sector have been troubling us; we want to use this opportunity to plead with the government to respond to the needs of health workers,” he said.
“To our patients, we are very sorry that you have to suffer this epileptic irregular healthcare service delivery; we have taken an oath to take care of you.
“But if a doctor is not in a sound state of mind, he or she is not happy with what he or she is getting from the job, the doctor may not be in the right frame of mind to discharge duties right.
“We are not insensitive, we hope that government and those in charge of this discussion with NARD will take the matter seriously, with a view to settling the burning issues.”
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
