Strike: Our doors, open to dialogue on contending issues – Doctors

Dr Temitope Hussein, President, Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (ARD), says doors of the association are open to dialogue on all contending issues that forced members to embark on nationwide strike.

Hussein made this known to our reporter in Ibadan on Monday, while highlighting some of the demands of the doctors.

He said: “The doors of the association are open to dialogue on all contending issues.

“I urged Nigerians to see reasons with the association and prevail on the governments to attend to our demands.”

Our Correspondent, who monitored the strike at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday reports that members of ARD in the hospital joined their counterparts to embark on indefinite strike called by the national body.

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had on Saturday announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike following its National Executive Council meeting.

The association cited the inability of the Federal Government to implement the agreements it entered with it, 113 days after it suspended the previous strike.

A check by our correspondent at the hospital revealed that the doctors stayed away from their respective duty posts at the hospital, while other activities continued uninterrupted.

At the Lounge of the Resident Doctors within the hospital, the premises was deserted as only Hussein and few principal officers, were on ground to monitor members’ compliance with the action.

Hussein said the Federal and State Governments were not showing enough concern to the plights of the doctors in ensuring qualitative healthcare delivery in the country.

He said that several measures had been adopted by the leadership of the association to avoid the nationwide strike.

The president of the association said that those saddled with the responsibility by the government had been foot dragging on the matter.