Resident doctors have commended the health policies of the Bayelsa State government.
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Osundayo Tope, gave the commendation yesterday when he presented the Champion of Residency Training Award to Governor Douye Diri in the Government House, Yenagoa.
Tope said Bayelsa is the only state in Nigeria to domesticate the Residency Training Act and that the governor had meticulously implemented its provisions.
The NARD President hailed the impact of the healthcare policies of the state government, particularly in residency training, employment and welfare of doctors.
He said the training of doctors had helped with human resource management, recruitment, and training of skilled health workers, among other policies that were lacking in other states of the country.
Tope also appreciated the governor for the 2022/2023 medical residency training grant to resident doctors, implementation of proper placement of doctors and approval of their revised hazard allowance.
He said that other notable achievements in the health sector include the renovation of the House Officers’ quarters at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, as well as the implementation of the 35 per cent upward salary review for doctors on call duty.
Tope said: “Bayelsa is the only state in Nigeria that has domesticated the Medical Residency Training Act. The import of this is that it has strengthened the human resources for skilled health workers, helping with the equipment in health institutions.
“We are grappling with a shortage of manpower in the country. But the domestication of the Residency Training Act will bring more people to work in this state’s health facilities. And this will improve the global health security and universal health coverage.
“Part of your achievements is that you have also paid the 2022/2023 medical residency training grant to resident doctors in the state. You have even gone beyond that to implement the skipping and proper placement of doctors, and approval of the revised hazard allowance.”
