The Federal Government moved fast on Wednesday to mitigate the resident doctors’ strike by ordering medical directors to ensure interrupted services.
A meeting will hold today between the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and government representatives to resolve the industrial action declared on Monday.
Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole also directed heads of government hospitals to ensure that other medical doctors in the other strata, including those on National Youth Service, fill the vacuum.
Adewole assured that government-owned hospitals would accept patients.
Arrangements were also being made to use the Armed forces, the Police and Federal Road Safety Corps health facilities.
The management of National Hospital in Abuja directed medical consultants and other personnel to attend to patients.
The spokesperson of the hospital, Dr. Dayo Hastrup, said there was no interruption of services.
On how the hospital kept going despite the strike, Hastrup said the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Jaf Jimoh, had gone ahead to assure patients and their families of uninterrupted services.
He said: “The management has been very proactive to ensure that services still continue at the hospital. The Chief Medical Director has directed the consultants, House officers and doctors who are on preliminary to make sure they are there to attend to patients.
“So, it is not a close down business, patients are still been attended to in the wards as usual and we are also attending to emergencies . The laboratories are functioning very well, the nurses are on ground and other health workers. So everything is going on well.”
The Federal Government will meet with the leadership of the striking doctors to end the strike.
A statement by the Deputy Director, Press in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, said the leadership of the doctors, the leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health were expected to be part of the meeting at the conference hall of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The statement said: “Towards apprehending the strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government on issues in dispute, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, is scheduled to hold a crucial conciliatory meeting with the President and Executive of NARD, President and Executive of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, led by the Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole and other stakeholders.”
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