By Asma’u Ahmad
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has ordered the replacement of all striking Resident Doctors (RDs) in the various government owned teaching hospitals in the country.
The minister’s directive was contained in a statement issued by the Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Boade Akinola in Abuja.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Amina Shamaki and sent to the Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of the Federal Tertiary Health Institutions.
Professor Adewole said the striking doctors failed to attend their training programmes, despite ongoing negotiations, therefore their vacancies should be filled up with other doctors that have before now sent in their applications.
“It has come to the notice of the management of the ministry that some RDs in your establishments have voluntarily withdrawn from the Residency Training Programme by refusing to report for training without authorisation.
‘”Public Service Rule, PSR 030402 (e) is relevant; this is in spite of the ongoing negotiations on their demands put forward by the representatives of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
“In view of this development, you are hereby directed to replace all the doctors that have withdrawn their services, with others from the pool of applicants for the training programmes in the various disciplines,” the circular read.
The circular added that the directive become necessary so as not to create ominous gap in training with attendant disruption of health care delivery in your facility.
The statement added that the ministry is working with the panel on the review of the Residency Training Programme in Nigeria, led by the Registrar of the National Postgraduate Medical College, Professor Wole Atoyebi, to fast-track the development of a comprehensive blueprint for postgraduate training of doctors in the country.
