Replace exited clinical workers, ARD-UBTH tells FG 

Association of Resident Doctors, University of Benin Teaching Hospital chapter (ARD-UBTH), at the weekend, urged the Federal Government to release the circular on the One-for-One policy for replacement of exited clinical workers to reduce the effect of brain drain in the health sector.

President, ARD-UBTH, Dr. David Orhewere, made the call during the 45th anniversary of ARD-UBTH, in Benin City, Edo State.

Orhewere, who extolled the past and present leadership of the association, said ARD-UBTH has produced several chairmen and leaders of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) both in Edo and at the national level, as well as the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) and the World Medical Association (WMA).

Orhewere said: “I must appreciate the 43rd President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Orji innocent Emeka, and the National Officers Committee (NOC) for continuous guidance as we make progress in the healthcare sector in Nigeria, with particular reference to residency training.”

He said that ARD UBTH wants the immediate release of the circular on One-for-One policy for the replacement of exited clinical workers for implementation. Orhewere stressed that ARD-UBTH  cannot continue to watch its members lose their lives, while breaking down under work overload occasioned by massive depletion of clinical staff in hospitals on account of brain drain.

Orhewere, who equally appealed to the government to ensure the payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to members, said some members were paid, while others are still to get their payments.

He said: “The 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) has been paid recently, but we still have a lot of our members that are yet to receive the payment. We want to appeal to the government to make good its promises to pay the remaining resident doctors that are due for this payment so that we would continue to have a conducive and peaceful atmosphere for our training.  This is aside from other remuneration demands, which we hope the government will also attend to.”