By Asma’u Ahamd
Resident doctors under aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), at Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, has staged a peaceful protest demanding for the implementation of the National Health Act (NHA).
The resident doctors appealed to the Federal Government to urgently implement the Act to improve access to quality healthcare services by Nigerians.
President of the branch association, Dr. Isa Ohyoma, told newsmen in Keffi that the Act would eliminate quacks in the sector as well as ensure quality health care service delivery.
It would be recalled that the NHA was signed into law in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, but yet to be implemented by the federal government.
According to him, the implementation of the NHA is extremely necessary to access basic health funds and regulate the country’s health system.
“The implementation of the National Health Act will tackle the problems and challenges facing the nation’s health sector as most of the people especially the poor masses cannot afford or access quality healthcare service delivery which had affected their health negatively.
“Other demands of the NARD includes payment of full salary to all of our members, appropriate placement of all doctors, uniformity in the no application of `no work, no pay’ rule, reinstatement of the unfairly sacked resident doctors, pension deduction and remittance, appropriate entry step for House officers,” he said.
Dr. Ohyoma also urged the federal government to release a white paper on residency training programme, an end to victimisation of its members and the unions as well as to enrol all resident doctors into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to prevent leakage in the system.
He said: “I also want to appeal to the Federal Government to fund the health sector adequately in order to tackle the infrastructural decay in the nation’s hospitals so as to tackle the health challenges of Nigerians and to discourage medical tourism in the country.”
The association decried the infrastructural and personnel deficit in health facilities, adding that it is only adequate funding of the health sector that will tackle such problems.
The president reiterated the commitment of the association to continue to key in to project that have direct bearing on the lives of the doctors and other Nigerians.
