Residents Doctors Commence Work

Members of the National
Association of Resident
Doctors (NARD), have
commenced work at their
designated hospitals
following the suspension of
their more than three-weeks-
old nationwide strike after
the meeting by the National
Executive Council of NARD in
Abuja, on October 24, even as
Labour Minister, Chief
Emeka Wogu hailed their
decision.
When Daily Times visited the
Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, patients were seen at the medical departments waiting to be
attended to.
A woman, who identified herself as Mrs. Tawa at the Surgical Outpatient Department said, "I
brought my daughter here for check-up, my card has been collected. So, I'm waiting to see the
doctor."
Also, a staff who pleaded anonymity said, patients are already coming in and the people at the
Surgical Emergency Unit have always been attending to patients even before the strike started.
A nurse at the Surgical Emergency Unit also confirmed that, "we've always been working at the
unit. We've been attending to patients."
In an interview, Dr. Jimi Shodipo, president of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD),
LASUTH chapter told our reporter after a brief meeting with the chapter's resident doctors that,
services by resident doctors have commenced as of now.
"As you are aware, the national officers called a meeting with the National Executive Council
(NEC) yesterday and following on that, there was a memorandum of understanding that was
signed between the government and the ARD and based on that, we are complying with the
directives that we suspend the strike action.
"By virtue of this congress we have done, services by resident doctors has commenced as of
now. We are trying to move on and hope that government will respect agreements that are
entered into freely. Nobody is asking for anything special. What people are asking for is for the
doctors to be trained as specialists, I don't think there is any special thing there, there is no
amount of money attached to it but what we are saying is that there should be a framework of
procedures that resident doctors will be trained to be specialists."
Continuing, Shodipo appealed to the government to pay doctors their salaries.
"People that have been owed salaries of five months have worked, though the government has
set up a panel and we hope that they do their work.
"How can someone that has worked and not been paid function properly? We are appealing that
salaries are paid so we could function properly."
Also, the ARD president, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter, Dr Emeka Ugwu, in
a telephone interview said the suspension of the strike is based on the directives of the NEC.
"It was the decision of the National Executive Council to suspend the strike.  We just have to
follow their directives because we are a small sect under them. The agreement was made in the
interest of the nation as well as patients.
"We however believe that the federal government would meet its own side of the agreement to
prevent further strike action."
A visit to the LUTH  confirmed that the strike has indeed been suspended as doctors went about
their duty posts attending to patients.
The suspended strike started October 1 over non-payment of arrears of salaries of some doctors
for over four months, under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)
arrangement.
Other issues in contention were the training and retraining of resident doctors and the
implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) at the Enugu State
University Teaching Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has commended the
members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) for keeping to their promise to
suspend their on-going strike following the memoranda of understanding and resolution reached
with him and other stakeholders at the end of the two-day prolonged meeting with members of
the association.
Wogu in a statement signed by the assistant Director of press at the ministry, Samuel
Olowookere thanked the leadership of the Association for keeping good faith with the resolution
and considered the suspension of the strike at the end of their National Executive Council (NEC)
meeting that took place today.
He assured the Association that the present administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
GCFR will continue to ensure industrial harmony and maintain the practice of social dialogue.