Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in Nasarawa State on Monday joined the nationwide strike declared by its national body (NARD) over improved welfare demands.
Dr Peter Idoko, Nasarawa State President of ARD made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Lafia.
“We have complied with the strike 100 per cent and all our members in the state have stayed away from work except those working in isolation centres, in line with the directive from our national headquarters.
“Even those working in the isolation centres would join the strike after two weeks if it lingers,” Idoko said.
He said that the strike could have been avoided if the Federal and states government had implemented the coronavirus hazard allowances among other welfare issues.
He said some of their demands included inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), lack of insurance for doctors, among others.
Dr Idoko added that even before the commencement of the nationwide strike, doctors and others health workers in the state had earlier embarked on warning strike over the same issue.
He said that 42 health workers, including six doctors, were infected with COVID-19 in Nasarawa state as a result of inadequate PPE.
He urged the Nasarawa State Government to stop paying lip service to issues of health.
He said that doctors had not been promoted in the last 10 years, adding that the situation had demoralised most of them.
Idoko called on the state government to domesticate the coronavirus hazard allowance, provide insurance cover for health workers and upgrade facilities at the isolation centres.
He also charged the state government to take the residency training of doctors seriously in order to produce more consultants and to address the issue of “brain-drain.”
The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria directed its members, with exception of those working in isolation centres, to commence an indefinite strike after the expiration of their 14-day ultimatum to FG.
