By Temitope Olubamise
The Federal Government says negotiations are ongoing with relevant stakeholders over issues of industrial action by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Morenike Alex-Okoh, disclosed this in Abuja, while fielding questions from newsmen about the situation.
Members of the association had embarked on a five-day warning strike on Wednesday, urging the Federal Government to address its concerns before May 29 otherwise, there will be full blown industrial disharmony.
The association embarked on industrial action when the two-week ultimatum issued to the Federal Government on April 29 expired May 13 without the issues addressed.
According to Alex-Okoh, the five-day warning strike embarked upon by NARD is really a thing of concern to the Federal Government.
“The situation with the doctors’ strike is of concern to government and the negotiations have been ongoing.
“We will continue under the circumstances, so, I cannot give you any conclusive response now.
“However, government, the leadership of the ministry and relevant stakeholders are meeting to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment had on Tuesday, relayed the Federal Government’s warning to the association to shelve the strike.
He issued the warning shortly after receiving a letter of notification from the NARD executive on the planned strike.
In a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Ngige said the planned strike was illegal.
“There is nothing like warning strike. A strike is a strike. If they want to take that risk, the options are there. It is their decision. They have the right to strike. You cannot deny them that right.
“But their employer has another right under Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, to withhold their pay for those five days. So, if the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, no problem.
“The Health Minister will instruct the teaching hospitals to employ adhoc people for those five days and they will use the money of the people who went on strike to pay the adhoc doctors.”
According to the statement, Ngige who was reacting to the letter, delivered to his office at about 5pm on Tuesday, said he contacted the Minister of Health, who informed him that a meeting has been scheduled with the resident doctors on Wednesday.
He advised the doctors to avail themselves of the opportunity for social dialogue with their employers, rather than embark on warning strike, which is unknown to the law.
Speaking in a telephone interview on Wednesday, President of the association, Dr Innocent Orji, said that members were still awaiting the Federal Government’s call for negotiations.
“Well, I am still in my hotel room now and I have not received any call to come to the table to initiate any negotiations about the strike.
“We also heard that No work, no pay policy will be implemented, but the position of our members is that the government should try and resolve the issues raised because that is the only way to avoid further escalation.
“Issuing threats will definitely worsen the problem. If no work no pay is implemented, our members will determine how we will handle it.
“From what we have heard so far from our members, going that route will escalate the problem because all options are on the table and going that route means that the government is not ready to address the germane issues we have raised and will rather give punitive measures.
“Our members will decide and give us further directives, but no one should blame us if they decide to escalate it,”he added.
A visit to Asokoro District Hospital showed that patients were being attended to at the hospital.
Dr Chidi Nnabuchi, the former Head of Clinical Services, said the hospital would not shut down, but would run based on the capacity available.
He said that emergency care would be offered where necessary, but it could not be ascertained if patients would be admitted, while the number of out-patients to be attended to would be greatly reduced.
This, he said was because only the consultants, corps members and local doctors would be attending to the patients.
“We have a few doctors in the facility that are corps members, they are not part of the strike, some others are on local employment, so, these few people will be on ground to handle emergencies and treat patients in the ward.
“So, we should be able to take care of some of our patients that are in the ward, but to those that are very critical, we may have to refer.
“A lot is individualised now in the departments, so each department will decide on how they can handle the patients in their care.”
However, the accident and emergency department will run 24 hours.
Nnabuchi also said that on each day of the strike, the hospital would review the situation and restrategise.
The strike which began on Wednesday would end on May 21.
