In efforts to resolve the ongoing nationwide strike by doctors, the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services on Friday, met behind closed-doors with the Federal Government and leadership of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and other stakeholders.
The marathon meeting which lasted for about five hours was not enough to make the aggrieved doctors to call off the ongoing strike, eves as the eeps committee and the Federal Ministry of Health, pleaded with them to suspend the industrial action in the interest of the poor masses who cannot afford health services in private facilities.
Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the committee, Tanko Sununu, said that the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, would by next week Tuesday meet with the NARD to ensure the matter between the government and the doctors were resolved.
“It is a very contentious issue and it took long because we tried to address the issues one by one and we came out with some resolutions. One of the resolutions is that as of today because there are so many infractions, we have decided to constitute three basic committees.
“One of the committees is to sort out the issue of House Officers and they are to commence work with immediate effect, and submit the authenticated list to the IPPIS (Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System) office within 24 hours so that payment of those who have been omitted would be done with immediate effect.
“The other committee is to be headed by a director in the Ministry of Labour (Employment and Productivity), with membership from Ministry of Health, NARD, IPPIS, and Committee of CMDs (Chief Medical Directors) to look at all the infractions that were noticed, involving multiple payments and other issues; to also suggest punitive measures to be meted out on those who have acted wrongly. That would also have to commence work immediately and submit the report to the Federal Ministry of Health, to be copied to the committee for necessary actions to be taken.
“The NARD made it clear that in the last four months, the members of the association were wrongly paid to the tune of N308m and the money has been with the NARD. They have been following the necessary organs of the government to ensure that the money is paid back into the government treasury, but the account was not given to them.
“At this meeting, we resolved and the account was forwarded to the President of NARD for onward transmission to members so that the money would be paid back to the government account,” Sununu said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Abdullahi, told newsmen that they had “a very robust meeting and discussion for close to five hours.”
He said that the ministry was 100 per cent in alignment with the decisions reached during the meeting.
On whether the strike would be called off soon, Abdullahi said: “We are pleading with the doctors to look into the issue and see reason. Nigerians are suffering. Just like he (Sununu) said, not everybody can afford to, in the event of anybody falling ill, go to a private hospital.
“So, we want them to see reasons; to see humanity. The essence of the medical profession is to save life, because this strike is going to the ninth day today. So, we plead with them; we urge them to please consider Nigerians.”