NARD: Now That General Muhammadu Buhari Has Not Shown Any Interest In Fixing Our Health System, Who will fix It For Us?

NARD strike was precipitated by the continued failure of the Federal Government to implement agreements reached with the Association, 113 days after the last strike was suspended.

NARD: No That General Muhammadu Buhari Has Not Shown Any Interest In Fixing Our Health System, Who will fix It For Us?

THE question of who will fix our health system has become germane as it appears that those given the mandate to do so have abdicated their responsibility.

President Muhammadu Buhari has not shown any interest in fixing our health system. After six years in office, he has continued to fly to foreign countries for medical treatments. Even right now, as the 16,000-strong members of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, once again, abandoned their duty posts over poor conditions of service, the president just visited London for a two-week medical vacation.

Last year, NARD and other medical associations embarked on strike three times even as the corona virus pandemic invaded our ill-prepared health system. This NARD strike is also coming at the onset of the third wave of the pandemic, thus leaving the ordinary people at great risk.

This NARD strike was precipitated by the continued failure of the Federal Government to implement agreements reached with the Association, 113 days after the last strike was suspended. The President of the Association, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, has also lamented that only one out of the 19 families of doctors who died while treating COVID-19 patients has received the death-in-service insurance benefits.

Some state governments have failed to pay the salaries and entitlements of medical doctors in their employ for months on end. These reportedly include Abia, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Imo, Anambra and Edo states. Indeed, the “hunger virus” is real among our public sector medical professionals.