Lagos – Five days after the Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA) suspended its strike, resident
doctors in the Federal Government-owned
hospitals in Lagos State have yet to resume
work.
This followed the insistence of the Federal
Government to sack the resident doctors in view
of their roles in the NMA’s nationwide strike that
lasted 55 days.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu,
had on Aug. 13 announced the sacking of all
resident doctors and stoppage of the residency
training until further notice.
Chukwu said the suspension of the residency
programme would not be lifted until the
conclusion of the ongoing appraisal of the
challenges in the nation’s health sector.
Dr Omojowolo Olubunmi, the President,
Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH-ARD)
Chapter, said the doctors stayed away because
of government’s refusal to reinstate the sacked
doctors.
He said some resident doctors, who reported for
duty were turned back on the orders of the Chief
Medical Directors (CMD) of the respective
hospitals.
“The CMDs claimed that they have yet to
receive circular from the Federal Ministry of
Health directing them to reverse the Federal
Government’s sacking of the doctors,” Olubunmi
said.
He said resident doctors constituted majority of
all doctors in the country.
“Resident doctors constitute the majority; we
are the backbone of the nation’s healthcare
system.
“In LUTH, we have about 500 resident doctors
and that is about 30 per cent of all healthcare
workers in the hospital.
“This has gravely affected services within the
hospital because the consultants can only render
skeletal services with the help of the house
officers.
“It will further worsen the palpable state of our
healthcare delivery,” he told the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN).
Olubunmi said residency training was pivotal to
the existence and running of a teaching hospital.
He added:“Residency training is the soul of a
teaching hospital and without resident doctors
there cannot be residency and no consultants.
“Resident doctors are doctors undergoing
postgraduate training, they can also render
specialist care to the patients.
“If you come to the teaching hospital, the first
set of doctors that you will see are the resident
doctors.
“We also have senior registrars that act in the
place of a consultant and are involved in the
training of medical and non-medical students .’’
Also speaking, Dr Ramon Kolade-Moronkola, the
Secretary-General of LUTH-ARD, said residency
programme provided citizens’ access to
specialists’ care.
“Residency training is a conveyor belt that
ensures that doctors eventually become
specialists as consultants and this is the norm
all over the world.
“This is a norm to ensure that citizens have
access to specialists’ care.
“The citizens will mostly bear the brunt without
the availability of resident doctors.
“When you produce a specialist that ensures the
highest level of healthcare delivery,” he said.
He said residency training had also attracted
foreign exchange into the country and prevented
medical tourism.
“It prevents citizens from seeking healthcare
abroad and check unnecessary wastages through
medical tourism.’’
Also, Dr Olusegun Akinwotu, the President of the
association at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric
Hospital, Yaba, said the sacking of the doctors
would affect the quality of services.
Contacted, Prof. Akin Oshibogun, LUTH CMD,
said:“ Please refer your questions to the
Minister of Health on this issue.”
NAN reports that the National Industrial Court
(NIC) had on Aug. 25 restrained the Federal
Government through the CMDs of the 37 medical
institutions from terminating the appointments
of the resident doctors.
The suit has been adjourned till Sept. 17 for
hearing of the motion on notice.
source: www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/resident-doctors-fail-resume-work-lagos/

thank you so much we are better in the hnads of the consultants,we don't want crowd because of ebola

Sunkyphil: thank you so much we are better in the hnads of the consultants,we don't want crowd because of ebola

and many patients would wait for 20years to see consultant.