Resident doctors threaten strike over bill to stop their migration

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has said any attempt by the Federal Government or any of its agencies to enslave Nigerian medical doctors under any guise would be resisted.

The association said this in a communiqué issued at the end of its emergency extended National Officers’ Committee meeting held virtually on Friday.

The communiqué made available to The PUNCH on Monday was signed by the NARD President, Dr Emeka Orji; its Secretary-General, Dr Kelechi Chikezie; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Umar Musa.

A bill to prevent Nigeria-trained medical and dental practitioners from being granted full licences until they have worked for a minimum of five years in the country passed second reading at the House of Representatives last Thursday.

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The bill, sponsored by Ganiyu Johnson, is aimed at addressing the health workers’ brain drain in the country.

NARD, in its communique, said, “The extended NOC admonishes the Federal House of Representatives that the obnoxious bill as sponsored by Ganiyu Johnson is a clear definition of modern-day slavery and not in keeping with anything civil, and so should be thrown away at this point.

“The house however agreed with him on the palpable dangers of the current menace of brain drain in the health sector and promised to work with the government to reverse the trend when the government was ready to come up with genuine solutions to the problem.

“The extended NOC reiterates that any attempt by the government or any of her agencies to enslave Nigerian medical doctors under any guise would be strongly and vehemently resisted by the association.”

NARD also urged the FG to keep to agreements reached by the stakeholders constituted by the Federal Ministry of Health on the implementation of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund and to expedite action on its payment.

It added that any attempts to do otherwise would only throw the health sector into another series of undesired crises.

It also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to review the current status of the membership certificates of the postgraduate colleges and upgrade them.