FG mulls sanctions for striking resident doctors

The meeting between the Federal Government and the striking National Association of Resident Doctors ended in a deadlock yesterday.

After the meeting which lasted over six hours, the Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie, said his ministry would issue a directive to all Medical Directors in the country to open a register by 7am and for those at work and those absent.

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The association had on Monday began a nationwide indefinite strike following the alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands including immediate implementation of the revised hazard allowance and payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowance, payment of all arrears owed its members in federal and states tertiary health institutions.

But the minister said yesterday that the government was ready to protect the lives of Nigerians and would not allow hospitals “to fallow.”

He decried that Nigeria was the first country in the world where doctors went on strike during a global pandemic.

Speaking to reporters on the telephone, the president of the association, Aliyu Sokomba, said: “We would call off the strike within 24 hours when the government comes up with tangible outcome.”