FG fires striking Resident Doctors, orders immediate replacement

The federal government on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 ordered the sack of all Resident Doctors who have voluntarily withdrawn from the Residency Training Programme.

The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole directed the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Director (MDs) of Federal Government Tertiary Health Institutions to fill the vacancies created by Resident Doctors who have abandoned their training programme

The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Amina Shamaki and sent to the CMDs and MDs of the Federal Tertiary Health Institutions.

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The Circular read:"It has come to the notice of the Management of the Ministry that some Resident Doctors in your establishment have voluntarily withdrawn from the Residency Training Program by refusing to report for training without authorization. Public Service Rule, PSR 030402 (e) is relevant. This is in spite of the ongoing negotiations on their demands put forward by the representatives of the (NARD) under the auspices of the .

"In view of this development, you are hereby directed to replace all the Doctors that have withdrawn their services, with others from the pool of applicants for the training programs in the various disciplines in order not to create ominous gap in training with attendant disruption of health care delivery in your facility.

"Meanwhile, the Ministry is working with the panel on the review of the Residency Training Program in Nigeria, led by Professor , the Registrar of the National Postgraduate Medical College, to fast-track the development of a comprehensive blueprint for postgraduate training of doctors in the country.Please, ensure immediate compliance."

The doctors were said to have continued with the strike despite the one-week suspension ordered by the NARD president, Muhammad Askira after a meeting with Speaker, on Wednesday, June 8, 2016.

Meanwhile, the Borno State chapter of the association has denied participating in a nationwide strike planned to commence today, June 21, 2016.