By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The federal government has directed the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of federal tertiary hospitals in the country to ensure that routine healthcare services are maintained in the hospitals despite the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by resident doctors.
In a statement issued Wednesday and signed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the ministry directed the CMDs and managing directors of the health institutions to deploy consultants and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) doctors to maintain routine and emergency services.
He also urged the hospital management to engage Lucom staff where necessary to prevent service disruption.
“The Federal Ministry of Health finds it necessary to ensure that measures are put in place to mitigate the effect of this strike on the generality of our populace by directing CMDs and MDs of federal tertiary hospitals to do the following: that Covid-19 treatment centres are kept operational. Emergency and routine services should be maintained with consultants and NYSC doctors,” the minister said in the statement.
Ehanire described the doctors’ strike as worrisome, adding that almost all the demands of the doctors have been addressed.
He said that embarking on an industrial action at this critical time that the country is facing a serious health challenge from the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic is ill-advised.
Details later…
