…unsure of nationwide protest
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has wade into the rift between the Federal Government and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which is the umbrella body of Resident Doctors in Nigeria.
NMA President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, in a statement, on Tuesday, registered the displeasure of NMA on the inability of the Federal Government to resolve the issues as raised by the resident doctors.
He said that for NMA being the mother association to the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), it has become a matter of policy to protect/promote the interest of Resident Doctors.
He said: “This avoidable labour dispute has gone on for far too long to the detriment of the common Nigerian citizen. It’s important that Government quickly conclude measures to resolve all areas of disagreement and eschew all punitive responses in the interest of industrial harmony.”
Dr. Ojinmah, on behalf of NMA, however, called on NARD to extend a gesture of goodwill towards the Government in the interest of health-seeking Nigerians who are suffering due to the absent of the doctors from the public hospitals.
He suggested that all parties put aside all obstacles, contrived or real, towards speedy resolution of the dispute for the love and sake of the nation, insisting that a better Nigeria is a tangible reality.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the nationwide protest proposed by the striking resident doctors might not hold due to the speedy interventions by the representatives of the federal government.
NARD President, Dr. Innocent Orji, confirmed to Daily Sun, late Monday evening that they were meeting with the government representatives on the issues, and was optimistic that some positives would come of the meeting.
Asked if the nationwide protests would go as planned, Dr. Orji, said he won’t comment on the matter because the leadership of the NARD would meet to decide on the next line of action, but that would be dependent on the outcome of meeting which was going on as at 8pm.
