One month into the ongoing strike by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the federal government yesterday warned new and successful graduands of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to desist from abusing the medical oath they swore to protect.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, while admonishing resident doctors currently on strike in various public hospitals in Abuja, urged them to negotiate their terms, rather than making demands on the federal government.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony for foreign medical graduates who were successful in the MDCN’s assessment examination held between October 2 and 4, the minister stated that negotiation meant to give a little and take a little.
According to him, “the sanctity of the health sector in Nigeria is not negotiable”, as government was prepared to ensure that medical oath sworn to by medical doctors is not grossly abused.
Chukwu, who was represented by the Director, Hospital Services in the ministry, Dr. Patience Osinubi, observed that he was working up till 5 a.m. yesterday at the office negotiating with resident doctors to go back to work.
The minister called on the newly inducted medical doctors to contribute their quota to nation building and the development of the health sector, “I referred to the oath today reminding my colleagues of what we swore to.”
He informed the doctors that the people, who die when they are on strike were human beings, adding that the time had come now to start taking drastic actions against those not taking this oath seriously.
“You are being watched. This is a warning to you all. As leaders in healthcare, you must keep to this oath. It is shameful that our senior colleagues who we call resident doctors have been on strike for a month now. You should always remember the consequences of our mistakes. The Minister of Labour even said during the talks that medical doctors bury our mistake which is true,” he said.
Chukwu likewise called on the inductees to abide to professionalism and align their skills in their areas of specialisation in order that Nigerians may stop hopping on the plane to India and other foreign countries for medical tourism.
The Registrar, MDCN, Dr Abdulmunin Ibrahim, said going on strike is unethical. Ibrahim, who charged the medical doctors not to join ranks with NARD officials during their one year internship programme, suggested that they should rather be encouraged to join the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
“If there’s anyone of you who is not ready to abide, you can sit down. Before you go on strike, you must make sure your patients are adequately taken care of,” he said.
While highlighting on this year event, the registrar stated that about 473 and six dental candidates registered for the exams that took place in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in October this year, out of which 333 medical doctors and five dental practitioners passed the examinations successful.
Source: Thisday
