Resident doctors begin warning strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors on Monday began its three-day warning strike to press home its demands.
On May 27, the President of the association, Dr. Jibril Abdullahi, gave a directive to its members to go on warning strike on June 2.
The President of the National Hospital branch, Dr. Frank Nwanodu, confirmed that resident doctors in the hospital were on strike.
Nwanodu said: “The strike has commenced with respect to the directive given by the national body.
“Prior to this time, there was a press conference, that was on Tuesday, to sensitise the people on what we are agitation for.
“The national officers’ committee, the caucus leaders and the entire members of the national association of resident doctors have actually agreed that this strike is a three-day warning strike that is total.
“And in compliance to that national directive, the National Hospital commenced the strike this morning.
“For now, the Medical Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria are on the ground.
“They are not part of the strike.
“The strike is strictly for the resident doctors.
“The three days’ warning strike is just to alert the government that these are our demands.
“We have given an ultimatum till 30th of June.
“By 1st of July, if these demands are not met, the national body has agreed and also informed the government we are embarking on an indefinite strike.”
Nwanodu said that if for any reason there was an emergency and the national body authorised its members to resume work, they would suspend the strike.
The hospitals spokesman, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, told the News Agency of Nigeria that in spite of the strike embarked upon by resident doctors, the hospital was in full operation.
Haastrup said: “National Hospital is working.
“We are attending to patients.
“Our clinics, our labs, the patients in the wards are all there.
“We have not discharged any patient.
“The national president of the national association of resident doctors might be the only one to monitor and confirm who and who is working, as they have declared strike.
“But for me as the spokesperson of this hospital, our shops are open and we are attending to patients.”
A NAN correspondent, who visited the National Hospital Abuja, observed that the doctors were not attending to patients.
NAN reports that the striking doctors were agitating for among others residency training.
Others are re-integration of its members into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and settlement of three months’ salary owed their colleagues in the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
Also, the government’s failure to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and eroding of the relativity in salary of doctors are part of their grievances.
From Yenagoa, Bayelsa State comes the report that the three-day warning strike declared by the NARD has paralysed healthcare delivery at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.
Also joined in the strike were members the Joint Health Sector Unions at the FMC, Yenagoa, over nonpayment of promotion arrears.
Dr. Ugoeze Asinobi, the Chairman of the FMC, Yenagoa chapter of NARD, said members of the association complied with the directive of their national body.
Asinobi said: “We are complying with the directive to commence a three-day warning strike.
“It is a nationwide issue, but the strike by other categories of health workers in the hospital is a local matter and is not related to our own.”
A NAN correspondent who monitored the strike reports that out-patient wards were closed as the patients were turned back by officials of the unions.
Simon Barnabas, an executive of Joint Health Sector Unions at the FMC, Yenagoa, said the unions were compelled to embark on a warning strike over non-payment of promotion arrears.
Barnabas said that the unions regretted the hardship faced by members of the public and appealed for understanding.
He said there was a total compliance as representatives of the various unions were going round to monitor compliance.
It was gathered that patients on admission were receiving treatment as some category of health workers were rendering skeletal services to patients.
Some patients who were at the hospital to receive treatment at the Out-Patients Department expressed disappointment over the strike.
Chioma Ukandu, a patient, appealed to the government to intervene and resolve the grievances of the workers.
Ukandu said: “I am surprised to find out that workers are on strike, even as health workers are supposed to render essential services.
“The feuding parties should consider the health of members of the public and resolve these issues without delay.”
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital was said to be unavailable when NAN visited the hospital.