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The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD FCTA), has begun a three-day warning strike in protest against unpaid salaries, allowances, and other unresolved issues, as reported by Vanguard.
They also urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to utilize government hospitals to experience firsthand the challenges faced by public healthcare workers and patients.
The strike, which has paralyzed operations in government hospitals across Abuja, follows the expiration of a three-week deadline given by the doctors last year.
Dr. George Ebong, the President of ARD FCTA, announced this during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He explained that the decision, stemming from a Congress meeting held by members on Tuesday, was due to the neglect and disregard doctors in Abuja have faced, likening them to abandoned projects.
“The three-day strike is being implemented across all government hospitals in Abuja. From Wuse to Asokoro, Maitama, Kubwa, Zuba, Kwali, Abaji, Nyanya, and other all of our hospitals in Abuja.”
“We gave the government a three-week ultimatum to meet our demands, and after that, we met with them and dialogued on several occasions. They pleaded for two weeks, but after that elapsed, nothing has been done. Not even the minimum thing. We expected them to pay for the 6 months of unpaid arrears to doctors.”
“After this three-day strike, we will do an appraisal. If nothing is done, we will go on an indefinite strike. We want the Minister of FCT to solve this problem to avert an indefinite shutdown of the hospitals in Abuja,” he said.
Dr. Ebong challenged Minister Wike and Senate President Akpabio to seek medical care at public hospitals, accusing government officials of neglecting health facilities and failing to prioritize the welfare of healthcare workers in Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, he stated, if we are serious about fixing the healthcare system in this country, government officials must start using public hospitals.
“I would like to see the minister use Wuse General Hospital. I would like to see the Senate President use Maitama General Hospital. I would like to see the Speaker use Iyanya General Hospital. Then, we can start to fix the system. If they don’t use it, then we can’t fix it. I’m sorry but that’s the truth.”Tao Here To Read Full Details
