The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to Nigerians over the ongoing strike action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Recall that the resident doctors had on April 1 began an indefinite strike over salary arrears and owed allowances by the federal government following the expiration of its ultimatum.
NMA chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Enema Amodu, who spoke with journalist in Abuja apologized to the citizens for the strike action.
The chairman, however, insisted that the strike has to continue for the sake of doctors’ welfare in order to enable them meet the needs of patients.
He stated that if the doctors are not in the right frame of mind, this might hinder their efficiency in the course of discharging their duties.
Thereby urging Nigerians to be patient with them, stating that the citizens will get maximum care when the government meets their demands.
“Doctors are not insensitive; we hope that the government and those in charge of the discussion with NARD will take it seriously, with a view to settling the issues at stake.
“To our patients, we are very sorry that you have to suffer this epileptic irregular healthcare service delivery; we have taken an oath to take care of you.
“But if a doctor is not in a sound state of mind and is not happy with what he or she is getting from the job, the doctor may not be in the right frame of mind to discharge his or her duty right.
“By the time we get placed properly, remuneration and other welfare matters and facilities that we need to serve you, we will be able to serve you better with productive results,” Amodu said.