Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire
By Tasiu Hassan, Bauchi
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH) Bauchi Chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria has joined its counterparts across the country to commence an indefinite strike.
This followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government by the association to meet its demands.
The National President of the Resident Doctors, Dr. Aliyu Sokomba had in a circular last week said the association found it necessary to take the painful decision following the inability of the federal government to meet its demands.
Speaking to newsmen on the development, the President of the Association, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Univesity Teaching Hospital, Chapter, Dr. Muhammad Sani Kabir, confirmed that they have joined the strike, as according to him, they have no option in view of the level of decay in the health care sector in the country.
Dr. Kabir said their demands include universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all federal and state hospitals and provision of Personal Protective Equipment for all health care workers.
He said other demands include immediate implementation of the revised hazard allowance and payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowance as agreed by the federal government and healthcare workers.
Though the association said the strike is total and indifinate, Dr. Kabir said doctors working at various COVID-19 isolation and treatment centres across the country are exempted from the industrial action.
While calling on the members of the public, especially patients to understand the situation and bear with them, the president enjoined government to do the needful for the health sector to perform optimally.
Some patients who had been in the teaching hospital since morning, said the striking doctors had informed them that they would only attend to twenty people due to the industrial action.
The patients who were visibly worried over the unfortunate development, called on the government to negotiate with the resident doctors in the interest of the common man who could not be able to go to private hospitals for medication.
