Nigeria’s Health Minister has directed Chief Medical Directors and Managing directors of tertiary hospitals to “immediately” replace striking doctors with youth corpers.
Dr Osagie Ehanire also instructed that locum staff “be brought in when and where necessary to forestall service disruption when applicable and affordable.”
He gave the directive today in Abuja while reacting to the nationwide strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors. The doctors are protesting among other things, the non-payment of their #COVID19Nigeria hazard allowance.
According to him, “it is with deep concern that I view the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors which commenced yesterday (Tuesday) September 7, 2020.”
He said that most of the doctors’ demands have been met while others are at implementation stages. The minister also lamented that doctors who are supposed to save lives have decided to down tools at a time when covid19 is ravaging mankind.
In his words, “it is a critical time in which all well-meaning medical professionals should close ranks and confront the common enemy, which is the covid19 pandemic threatening mankind.”
He added that “the Federal Ministry of Health finds it necessary to ensure measures are put in place to mitigate the effect of this strike on the generality of the populace by directing CMDs/MDs of our federal tertiary hospitals to immediately do the following: covid19 treatment outlets should continue to function as before.
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