The tripartite meeting conveyed by the House of Representatives has constituted a sub-committee to fashion out ways to resolve the grey areas in the demands of the striking Residents Doctors in the country.
This was one of the resolutions of the meeting between the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services, Members of the Executive and the Residents Doctors Association of Nigeria, aimed at ending the strike that cripples health care services for Nigerians.
The committee comprised of the Head of Service of the Federation, Committee of Chief Medical Directors CMDs of Federal Health Institutions and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Special Duties to find lasting solutions to industrial action.
Stakeholders at the meeting called for a National Health Workforce Plan to reduce the recurring industrial action by the workers in the Health Sector.
Issues of casualization or locum arrangement in the health sector, difficulties in obtaining clearance and waivers to replace existing medical officers as well as meeting all agreements reached between the government and the striking doctors,
In a presentation to the stakeholders meeting with the striking doctors and lawmakers, President of NARD Dr. Okhupihesuyi Uyilawa said that the federal government should jettison the circular that prescribed a new scheme of service for doctors different from other government employees.
The NARD also insisted that the backlog arrears of salaries of its members totalling over N5.5 billion being held by the Ministry of Health must be paid to its members before the ongoing strike by the association can be put to hold.
The meeting however suggested easing off the replacement processes and other bureaucracy to ensure effective and efficient health services to Nigerians.
The Ministry of Health through the State Minister Dr. Olorunmimbe Mamora described as unfair blaming the Federal Government for an action or inaction of States, being one of the three tiers of government.
Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Dr. Tanko Sununu, pledged that though the Federal Government has no power over States Affairs, it will continue to ensure all grievances are resolved and Nigerians enjoyed stable and efficient Health Services.
The Director-General Budget Office, Mr. Ben Ekabueze justifies some of the administrative measures taken, which he said were to regulate excesses of the Managers of the Federal Health Institutions.
Mr. Akabueze said that there is a public wage advance in the Service Wide Vote of the 2020 budget that takes care of the Doctor’s salary arrears and that in the last two years there was budget approval for the recruitment of medical doctors for 70 health institutions.
The committee members had insisted at the meeting that the absence of services of doctors at the nation’s health institutions constitute great havoc to the healthcare needs of the entire citizenry.
The meeting to be continue on Tuesday, also has in attendance the Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Nigerian National Medical Association, and Chief Medical Directors of the University Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.
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