Dr Ethel Egbekun, President, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL) has disclosed that accumulated lingering issues necessitated recent moves by doctors to embark on a strike.
Egbekun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that deliberations had been on the table for a while now without any tangible results.
She said the most important of the issues was the nonpayment of remuneration of the youngest set of doctors in the health sector, who had just graduated from medical school.
According to her, they are in the system to do their one-year internship.
“These people have not been paid since January and here we are talking about brain drain.
“If you treat these doctors the way you are treating them now, what is the incentive to stay back and replenish our depleting workforce of the health sector,” she asked.
Egbekun wondered how the young doctors could be convinced to stay back and prevent the rapid brain drain that is going on in the country.
She said that apart from these doctors, some other doctors were being owed in the system, since January as well.
“Negotiations have been on the table to try and get these people paid but there just seems to be a lot of gridlock.
“There should not be any issue for experiencing delay and setback.
“Some doctors who are still working have pulled their children out of school because they cannot pay.
“Some of them have family members who have health challenges that we had to contribute to offset some bills.
“It is not a situation where you want your doctors to be; how do you expect a doctor to give you excellent results when he is having financial challenge” she asked.
The NOHIL ARD President pleaded for speedy resolution between the FG and doctors to enable work progress smoothly. (NAN)
