Resident doctors seek FG intervention in face-off with health ministry

The Association of resident doctors (ARD), comprising Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, and the National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH) Igbobi, has urged the Federal government to pay their salaries and see to their general welfare. ARD, at a press briefing held in Lagos, noted the absurdity of the unjust and unfair policy of payment of fractional salaries to doctors in the Federal and state tertiary health institutions in the country, which has continued since December 2013 despite their protestations. President, ARD, LUTH, Dr. Sekumade Adebayo, said the agitation by the national body, NARD, for the release of a uniform template for Residency training in Nigeria has been ongoing for several years. Adebayo noted that the continued non-release of this template has contributed significantly to the level of industrial disharmony in the health sector, because of the selective application and misapplication of the rules by the different hospital managements. Adebayo said: “A case in point is the recent letter of appointment given to the new Resident Doctors on LUTH, which contained several anti-labour clauses.