Medical centre seeks intervention in doctors’ strike

AN appeal has gone out to all concerned Nigerians to as a matter of urgency use whatever influence they have to appeal to the striking doctors of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, in Taraba State to return to work.

Worried that the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the hospital had not taken into consideration the plights of the public by calling of the strike in spite of the passionate appeals from the hospital management, the need for concerned Nigerians to intervene, according to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Wiza Inusa, has become very relevant.

He admonished journalists in the state on the need to furnish the public with the actual facts concerning the ongoing strike.

The CMD, who made the appeal yesterday while briefing media practitioners on the efforts so far made by the hospital management to persuade the striking doctors, said the ARD would have a change of heart when Nigerians wade in.

The strike, which started on May 25, 2015, is not doubt affecting the public negatively, as only those with the well withers are now accessing private hospitals in the state.

Visibly dejected CMD said: “We are calling on all concerned Nigerians to continue to appeal to the ARD members to consider the suffering of the people and return to work.”

The ARD members, The Guardian learnt, are agitating for skipping for medical officers, the demand, which the CMD said is a “national issue requiring a national approach to resolve it.”

Armed with documents from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, which was signed by the Director, Compensation, Chike N. Ogbeche, the CMD said the hospital has met with the ARD “several times” but that they have deliberately refused to heed to the plea of the management.

Part of the documents, which was signed by Ogbeche, frowned at the implementation of the said skipping for medical officers.

Part of it reads: “So far, the modalities have not been worked out neither has the relevant scheme of service been amended accordingly.