The Federal Government has ordered the sack of striking resident doctors in the country.
The
Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, in a circular signed by Amina
Shamaki, permanent secretary of the ministry directed chief medical
directors (CMDs) and medical directors (MDs) of FG tertiary health
institutions to fill the vacancies created by resident doctors who have
“abandoned” their programme. Resident doctors in government hospitals
embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday.
The circular reads:
“It has come to the notice of the management of the ministry that some
resident doctors in your establishment have voluntarily withdrawn from
the residency training program by refusing to report for training
without authorisation. public service rule, PSR 030402 (e) is relevant.
“This is in spite of the ongoing negotiations on their demands put
forward by the representatives of the National Association of Resident
Doctors (NARD) under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association.
“In view of this development, you are hereby directed to replace all
the doctors that have withdrawn their services, with others from the
pool of applicants for the training programs in the various disciplines
in order not to create ominous gap in training with attendant disruption
of health care delivery in your facility.
“Meanwhile, the
ministry is working with the panel on the review of the residency
training programme in Nigeria, led by Professor Wole Atoyebi, the
registrar of the National Postgraduate Medical College, to fast-track
the development of a comprehensive blueprint for postgraduate training
of doctors in the country.
“Please, ensure immediate compliance.”