Recall sack doctors or face strike, resident doctors tell FG

From Femi Oyelola kaduna

There seems to be no end in sight to the unfolding drama between the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD), and the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau State as the resident doctors has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to recall the sacked doctors or face strike action.
NARD, stated in a communiqué signed by the Secretary General of the association, Dr. Osina Chukwu Nnadi, after an emergency meeting of the resident doctors and made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.
The communiqué termed the sack of the doctors at the National Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja as “Unjust exit”.
The communiqué stated that a situation where there is a court injunction restraining JUTH management from unjustly exiting resident doctors in August, 2017 and the management of JUTH continued to exit resident doctors is unacceptable.
The doctors, who insisted that all their colleagues in JUTH, whose appointments have been unjustly terminated since July, 2014 must be recalled, also maintained that all outstanding emoluments from the stated date be settled.
“There is a court injunction restraining the JUTH management from unjustly exiting resident doctors in August, 2017, but the management of JUTH has continued to exit resident doctors despite the recent court injunction.
“The Federal Ministry of Health released an extant circular on duration of Residency Training Program (RPT) on 18thJuly, 2014.
“The management of JUTH is yet to recognize the July 2014 extant circular on duration of RTP and therefore not implementing same.
“JUTH management has been withholding dues deducted from members of the congress of ARD JUTH since January 2018 which NEC condemns and strongly frowns at,” it stated.