Doctors’ Sack: TUC Urges FG To Reconsider Action, Faults NMA’s Continued Strike Action

TUC1The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to the federal government to rescind its decision on the sack of about 16,000 resident doctors in the country over their involvement in the on-going nation-wide strike by the Nigeria Medical Association.

The federal ministry of health had last Thursday conveyed President Goodluck Jonathan’s approval of the suspension of residency training programme in all federal hospitals across the country, pending when all challenges in the health sector are addressed.

A statement by the deputy director (press) at the ministry of health, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, alleged that every effort by the federal government to contain the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) are being frustrated by the continued industrial strike action of the NMA.

But the TUC in a statement issued yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, called on government to reinstate the sacked doctors in the interest of the country, adding that two wrongs never make a right.

The statement, which was signed by the chairman of TUC in the state, Comrade Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, however, faulted the NMA for embarking on an indefinite strike even in the face of the challenges posed by the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease and appealed to the association to call of its strike.

It reads in part, “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Rivers State, appeals to the federal government to reconsider its decision on the resident doctors in the national interest, more so as two wrongs cannot make a right.

“We note that though the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) as a professional association has not acted professionally by continuing with its strike even in the face of the Ebola virus disease outbreak, suspending the residency programme will not solve the problem”, it added.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Nigeria is facing insurgency,Ebola and NMA strike.It is very obvious dat most today’s doctors are not interested in the services to humanity,they are jst interested in power, money, pride.Jst look at their reckless ,frivolous selfish lists of demand,yet govt attended to it,and hopefully,will grant n implement them later,yet they refused to call off d strike becos dy are god n own d govt.who does not knw dat doctors are very comfortable even b4 their demands.Well… contract job is good for them,will curb d strike n make them alert to b dutiful.If they do not want to accept d contract job,they can become family doctors in their various homes.