Federal Legislator Lauds Resident Doctors On Suspension Of Strike
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions and frontline Ebonyi governorship aspirant in the on-coming 2023 general elections, Rt. Hon. Anayo Edwin-Nwonu, has lauded the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, over the suspension of their industrial action which had lasted for two and half months. The suspension of the strike which had grounded healthcare delivery in the country and led to many avoidable deaths across the length and breadth of the nation was announced on Monday, 4th October, 2021 by the President of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Godiya Ishaya.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Lagos where he was on official engagement, Edwin-Nwonu, rejoiced over the cheering development which he said "will abate the spike in preventable deaths of the ordinary citizens who could not afford medical tourism and ensure full reactivation of healthcare delivery within the country". The law-maker who represents Ezza North/ Ishielu Federal Constituency in the National Assembly said that he was pained by the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians in a sensitive area like the health sector while the industrial action lasted and that was why he reached out to stakeholders in the health sector and parties to the industrial dispute for resolution of the issues at stake.
Edwin-Nwonu admonished the authorities in charge of the health sector to fully utilize the six-week period of grace given by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, to address the issues that led to the strike to prevent future resumption of the strike action which has been merely suspended by the resident doctors. According to the federal legislator, "I commend the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors for yielding to patriotic appeals of concerned Nigerians as well as the federal government. Having said that, I charge the authorities in charge of the health sector to do everything within their power to address the issues that led to the industrial action in order to prevent a future reoccurrence. I make this appeal mindful of the fact that NARD merely suspended the strike for six weeks in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian citizens and to give room for the authorities to address the concerns of the association which, I must admit, are very genuine and should not ordinarily be allowed to fester and degenerate to subjects of trade disputes. However, I equally appeal to NARD as a patriotic association to factor the prevalent economic situation in Nigeria in their appraisal of the efforts of the authorities in addressing their concerns in the interest of the ordinary masses".