Date: 2016-09-09

Doctors have been challenged to suspend their strike and lead the way in the area of change in the nation's health sector. The call was made by the Chief Medical Director of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Ilorin, Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo.

He spoke yesterday in Ilorin while reacting to the indefinite strike embarked upon by the UITH chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) over allegations of wrong scale of payment of allowances of their members.

Olatinwo who described moral obligation to duty as a necessity for medical practice said mundane issues should be subsumed under dedication to duties in compliance with the change mantra of this administration.

The hospital boss who said no management would defy the authority of the minister for those of the employees urged the striking doctors to return to their duty post in the interest of the oath they pledged allegiance to at the point of their initiation into the medical profession.

The hospital boss who praised other categories of doctors and other health workers at the UITH "for keeping the system moving", urged the striking doctors to resume work in the interest of the patients "and the need for us all to support the policies of government."

Reacting to the development, the local Chairman of NARD, Dr. Ade Faponle said until the salary scale of all his members are upgraded like those of some other teaching hospitals around, "the strike will continue indefinitely.We should be properly placed in the salary scale."

Meanwhile, the President of National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), Dr. Ademola Abayomi Olaitan, yesterday stated that poor funding and frequent disruptions of services at the country's Teaching Hospitals through strikes were some of the major challenges negating the goals of postgraduate medical and dental education in Nigeria.

Addressing newsmen at the 2016 pre-convocation press briefing, Olaitan regretted that the college, which trains specialists' doctors for the country, retains needed manpower and prevents human capital flight, has not been given its rightful place in the affairs of the nation.

He said until the Federal Government reconsiders its investment in postgraduate medical education, full attainment of the college's mandates and achieving high quality of patients' care might continue to be threatened.

Highlighting the importance of the NPCMN in the country, Olaitain said this year alone, the college had saved government millions of dollars if the new fellows were trained outside Nigeria. "Having certified a total number of 5,387 Fellows, the billions of dollars saved can only be imagined if this is put in monetary values." 340 Fellows will be convoking in this year's edition.