MDCAN declares strike illegal
LAGOS
– HOSPITALS across the country, yesterday, mapped out options to mitigate the
effects of the indefinite strike embarked upon, yesterday, by resident
doctors,under the aegis of National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD.
nationwide. Part of the options is the directive from Medical and Dental
Council of Nigeria, MDCAN, to doctors on housemanship not to join the strike,
so they could offer services to the public. However, normal services were in
place at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, yesterday. When Vanguard
visited LUTH, yesterday morning, normal services were in place.
Normal services
were also observed at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, and Psychiatric
Hospital, Yaba. From the Accident and Emergency to other departments such as
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, including Surgery, Paediatrics, Medical Outpatients
Clinics and Labour, patients were being attended to. But in a chat, the
President of the LUTH-ARD, Dr Sekumade Adebayo, said they were complying with
the directive from the national body. “We have just received the national
directive to embark on strike and we are in compliance with that. Our
executives are monitoring the level of compliance as the strike is ongoing in
LUTH.” Adebayo, however, noted that their members would go about the directive
with a human face, stating that if need be, patients would be referred to
centres where they can be taken care of. Measures in place to mitigate
effects—CMD LUTH Reacting to the development, Chief Medical Director, LUTH,
Prof Chris Bode, said measures were in place to mitigate effects of the strike.
Bode said the management would address the public after appraising the
situation by today. He told Vanguard in a telephone chat: “Tomorrow (today) we
will give a comprehensive report of the situation. Contingencies have been put
in place as response to the strike. The senior doctors, house officers, and
other non-residents are taking care of patients and there are no plans to
discharge patients. “Most of the doctors are off duty because of the holidays.
This is because we record low turnout of patients during festivities.” Also
reacting, former president of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, LUTH
chapter, Dr Omojuowolo Olubunmi, confirmed that only resident doctors and not
consultants were on strike. “A few of our members will be on ground but will be
running on a very low capacity.
We know that the patients suffer most during
strike like this. That is why the resident doctors are working hard to ensure
that the strike is not prolonged.” 300 doctors in UBTH join strike Meanwhile,
resident doctors at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, have
joined the strike. President of the UBTH branch, Dr. Eustace Oseghale, told
Vanguard that over 300 members of the association down tools at 8am yesterday.
“Yes we have. It (strike) is a national directive. We are withdrawing services
until our demands are met,” Oseghale said on the telephone. He explained that
though the action would take its toll on the patients, in spite of available
consultants, a resolution of the issues would be in the interest of the
patients. Announcing the strike action Early yesterday morning, the NARD
announced it was embarking on indefinite strike in a one paragraph statement signed
by the President, Dr. Onyebueze John, in Abuja.
The statement read: “Rising
from our NEC meeting, which started by 7pm, yesterday, and ended 3 am today,
NARD has resolved to reject the promissory offer from government, and proceed
on total and indefinite strike action until all items in her demand list for
strike action are resolved by Government.” It will be recalled that in January
this year, NARD embarked on seven-day nationwide warning strike to press home
their demand for revitalised Residency training programme, implementation of
the National Health Act, payment of arrears among other things. The members of
NARD are demanding the resolution of persistent shortfalls and unpaid arrears
of salaries in federal and state tertiary health institutions. Other issues
include enrolment of resident doctors into the Integrated Personnel Payroll
Information System, IPPIS, since 2003 and non-implementation of adjusted House
Officers’ Entry grade level equivalent since 2014. The striking doctors are
also asking for resolution of issues around stagnation of their promotion and
non-promotion of members with requisite criteria, despite all collective
bargaining agreements and circulars.
Last week, NARD met with the Minister of
Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac
Adewole, but they failed to reach an agreement. MDCAN declares strike illegal
Meanwhile, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCAN, yesterday described as
illegal the ongoing strike by members of NARD. It warned that embarking on
strike by doctors on internship would lead to repeating of the postings afresh
without remuneration. It also advised Chief Medical Directors, Medical
Directors and Medical Superintendents to be alive to their responsibilities and
ensure that all doctors over whom they have administrative charge, abide by all
extant regulations. The MDCN in a statement entitled: “Professional Ethics for
House Officers/Interns,” signed by its Acting Registrar/Chief Executive, Dr.
Tajudeen Sanusi, cited Section 2 (D) paragraph (iii) of the Guidelines on
Registration (2003 ed) “Embarking on strike by interns will lead to repeating
of the posting(s) afresh without remuneration. Interns are, therefore, advised
to avoid participation in activities like industrial actions that could lead to
interruption in their postings. “Medical and dental practitioners should note
that provisional registration does not guarantee automatic admittance to the
Full Register. Full Registration is granted only on satisfactory completion of
internship training”, the MDCN stated. Sanusi said:
“The MDCN regulates medical
and dental practice in Nigeria, including clinical laboratory practice by
members of the professions as stipulated by the provisions of the Medical and
Dental Practitioners’ Act Cap M8 LFN 2004 and the various subsidiary
legislative documents flowing therefrom. “Due to the recent development in the
health sector, the MDCN is constrained to issue this public notice as guidance
to practitioners and the general public. Medical and dental practitioners on
the Provisional Register who are employed as House Officers (Interns), heads of
health institutions where internship training for medical or dental graduates
are conducted and the general public should note the provisions of the Medical
and Dental Practitioners Act in sections 1(2c), 8, 11, 12, the Rules and
Guidelines that flow therefrom including the Code of Medical Ethics in Nigeria
(2008 Ed) and Guidelines on Registration.
“Provisional registration is for the
purpose of enabling young doctors undertake internship training in an approved
hospital under the supervision of registered specialists. Provisional
registration lapses after two years or immediately a doctor is signed off from
internship. Generally, it is expected that on employment, interns should
complete their postings within 12 calendar months. “During the internship,
doctors and dentists are required to undertake 12 weeks’ uninterrupted postings
in each of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatri cs and
other relevant specialties for dentistry. Any interruption for any reason,
including embarking on strike actions, during any of the postings, will not be
condoned and should be reported immediately to the Chief Medical Director,
Medical Director or Medical Superintendent of the internship training
Institution.
This press statement is hereby made for the purpose of guidance of
members of the profession and the general public.” Adewole appeals to striking
doctors Meantime, Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, has appealed to the
striking resident doctors to suspend the strike action in the interest of
Nigerians who are need of medical care. Adewole, who gave assurance of the
Federal Government’s commitment to address all the issues in contention said the
government needed a little more time to address the issues. According to the
minister in a statement, “another round of meetings have been scheduled for
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 and it is hoped that more progress would have been
made in reaching a consensus in all the issues being discussed”.
He directed
Medical Directors and Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned
hospitals to ensure that consultants and Youth Corps doctors as well as doctors
on internship are on duty to provide health services at the hospitals in order
to ensure there is no break in healthcare services to our people. Giving
assurance he said that the Federal Government Health Facilities would be open
and render services to the people while the government continues to dialogue
with the resident doctors to return to work. He said arrangements on to make
use of Armed forces Police and Federal Road Safety Health Facilities.
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