The fate of the 16,000 sacked resident doctors in the country will today top the agenda of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) meeting today in Awka, Anambra State. The NMA yesterday said the professional competence of resident doctors remain an essential ingredient in the provision of medical services in the nation’s health sector.

The body noted that all federal hospitals cannot do without the resident doctors and still aim to achieve the desired success in the provision of effective healthcare delivery even in the face of the 55-day strike embarked upon by its members. Chairman of the association in Edo State, Prof. Afekhide Omoti, stated this in Benin, the Edo State capital, yesterday.

He said members of the body will take the next line of action in a resolution at the end of their meeting today in Awka, Anambra State, especially on the Federal Government’s pending withdrawal of the sack letters to about 16, 000 resident doctors nationwide.

“We will be having a meeting tomorrow in Awka. Following that meeting, we will know what to do,” he disclosed. Omoti said though the Federal Government was yet to live up to its promise, but that medical services were still in skeletal stages in all federal health institutions due to the impact of the letters.

“There is no difference, because the only people who the federal government has allowed to come back to work are the consultants, who constitute not more than 10 to 20 per cent of the total number of doctors.”

He added that; “The government is supposed to withdraw the sack letters and allow the doctors in all the federal hospitals nationwide to resume