Doctors apologise to Nigerians as they begin strike

Resident doctors began a nationwide strike on Thursday, with an apology to Nigerians, who will be affected by the industrial action.

The strike was declared after last minute efforts made by the Federal Government to prevent it through a truce with the doctors’ association had failed.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said through a message on Twitter that “Nigerians must understand that we love them and the strike is not intended to hurt them but to challenge the Nigerian government.”

NARD urged “@MBuhari @Fmohnigeria @LabourMinNG whose responsibilities amongst others is to care for her citizens and labour force to do the needful.”

In an interview on Wednesday, NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, said, “I want Nigerians to ask the government to be more responsible; and there’s nothing that can make us avert this strike.”

He said the ultimatum given to the Federal Government to meet the association’s earlier demands expired on March 31, with no significant achievement.

On Wednesday, a government delegation led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, met with the doctors to avert the strike.

Ngige appealed to the aggrieved doctors to consider the damage their withdrawal of services would cause the country’s health system already stressed by the coronavirus.

Resident doctors, who are undergoing training to become consultants, make up a large percentage of doctors in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals.

The purpose of the industrial action is to push for the settlement of unpaid wages, among other demands.

The work stoppage is the third such strike over the same demands within the past nine months.