‘Resident doctors not in private practice’

 “We don’t work in private clinics, we concentrate on our work, reading, research and training. How then would you see a resident doctor working in a private clinic. Almost every resident doctor in this country is missing his patients; resident doctors are doctors who are completely addicted to their patients,” he said.

Speaking with Weekly Trust yesterday in Sokoto, Dr. Muhammad said they had a four-point demand including the implementing the new salary structure and arrears, clinical attachment abroad, the issues of equipping the hospitals and general improvement in the residency training but that only one has been met.

“The only thing that they did is the implementation of the new salary structure. One out of four; I don’t think they are bold enough to say they have met all our demands.”

He added that despite settling the new salary structure since September 2009, during which the federal government promised to start paying it as from January 2010, government has reneged on that agreement.

He said the basis for waiting till January for an issue that was settled since September was for it to be effected in this year’s budget. “Unfortunately they came up with something else that there is no money for our arrears and that we have to wait for a supplementary budget. No explanation as to why a settled issue should be overturned and they were not ready to listen to us.”

The NARD state chairman said the national body decided to continue

with the strike until the agreement is meant, stressing, ”why should we wait till October for something that had been approved since September last year and promised to be effected in January?”

He said nothing has been said clinical attachment, “they are still up to date keeping quiet about it,” he stated.

He described the prevailing situation as unfortunate and called on people in positions of authority to ensure an end to the situation in order to alleviate the suffering and plight of the entire Nigerian masses.