NARD laments shortage of medical doctors in hospitals
The South-South caucus of the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) yesterday, decried the chronic manpower shortage and the alleged refusal of the management of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Benin to employ resident doctors in the institution.
This was contained in a communiqué issued and signed by its leader, Dr. Emmanuel Osagiede and his deputy, Dr. Godae Donbaridam at the end of its meeting at the Rivers state University Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt and made available to newsmen in Benin City.
The communiqué said the caucus reviewed the painful state of resident doctors in Nigeria, especially those in the employment of state governments and found out that they have not been properly taken care of.
They said the worse hit is the Abia state University Teaching Hospital where the resident doctors are being owed 14- month salary arrears, adding that while Abia state resident doctors are battling with salary arrears, those in Rivers and Delta states are faced with stagnation, poor remuneration and improper placement.
“Also we reviewed that condition of service of resident doctors in Rivers state University Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH)-Okolobiri and Delta state University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
“It is pathetic to note that resident doctors in Rivers state University Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt have remained stagnated for eight years without promotion and proper placement.
“At the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, it was observed that there is protracted shortage of manpower, poor remuneration and improper placement of our resident doctors while Delta state University Teaching Hospital, Oghara is bedevilled with poor sponsorship of residency training.
“Generally, all the state -owned teaching hospitals in the South-South region are yet to domesticate Medical Residency Training Act which has been signed into law since 2018,” the NARD said.
The association further called on the Governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu to settle the salary arrears of the doctors while the Rivers and Delta state governors should domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act and make funds available for the training of resident doctors.
