FG sacks all resident doctors

THE Federal Government on Wednesday sacked all resident doctors in the country.

In a press release by the Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry
of Health, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, the Federal Government said it had to
do so after exploring all avenues to end the strike, which it said had
compounded the health crisis in the country.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Medical Association had directed
its members natiuonwide to go on strike on July 1. The National
Association of Resident Doctors, an affiliate of the NMA, has put its
numerical strentgh at about 16,000.

"The situation has been compounded by the recent importation of the
Ebola Virus Disease into Nigeria on July 20, 2014. Following the
Presidential declaration of a National Public Health Emergency on
Ebola Disease, which has united the entire country in the efforts to
contain the disease, it is quite regrettable that the people who
should take leadership role in the fight against the Ebola disease are
now the most unsupportive,'" the statement said.

The resident doctors were unceremoniously relieved of their jobs after
the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday, issued a
directive terminating the residency training programme for doctors in
the country until further notice.

The PUNCH learnt that the development, however, was without prejudice
to the employment of locum doctors on six months renewable contract
tied to excellent performance.

In a circular by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health,
Mr. L.N. Awute, to all Chief Medical Directors and medical directors
in public hospitals across the country, said the development was "for
the purposes of appraising the challenges in the health sector'.

"The honourable minister has directed that you issue letters of
termination of Residency Training appointment to the affected Resident
Doctors in your hospital immediately,'' Awute said.

In another copy attached to the letter, the ministry also directed the
CMDs to pay "salaries and allowances for one month in lieu of notice."

"You are required to surrender all hospital property in your
possession, including any staff identity card," the statement added in
the instruction to the doctors affected by the development.

The National Association of Resident Doctors, has however, described
the directive as unfortunate.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the NARD president,
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Moroof Abdulsalam said
the development would be resisted.