JUST IN: FG threatens to sack striking doctors

The federal government has threatened to sack medical doctors on its payroll who fail to appear at their duty posts on Wednesday despite the industrial strike of resident doctors.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire made the threat on Tuesday at a dialogue meeting with federal government team and leadership of National Association of Resident Doctors in Abuja

Dr Osagie Ehanire directed all Chief Medical Directors, CMDs, of its hospitals to open a record-keeping register between 7 am and 12 noon each day, beginning from Wednesday, insisting that those who fail to show up for work would be identified and appropriately dealt with.

Solacebase reports that the resident doctors commenced indefinite strike on Monday asking for the government to attend to their needs before calling off the industrial action.

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The negotiation meeting, which started at about 1 pm on Tuesday and lasted several hours ended in deadlock as members of the association led, by its National President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, failed to return to the meeting after a short break.

Dr Aliyu Sokomba said that the doctors would only suspend the ongoing action within 24 hours if the government bring something tangible on the table.

According to him, “We are not coming back, we told them if something tangible is brought to the table, we can suspend the action within 24 hours but for now, the strike continues.’’

While speaking to journalists on the outcome of the meeting the minister said the government has an obligation to protect the lives of Nigerians who are suffering from one illness or the other.

Dr. Osagie Ehanire said that there would be a need for ad-hoc arrangements to solve the need at hand. He said all the pleas to the doctors to see reasons with government, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic fell on deaf ears.