The attention of Management has been drawn to the communiqué issued by Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Uyo Branch in respect of the disengaged Resident Doctors and we wish to state as follows:

 

(1)    Resident Training Programme is for the training of Doctors who want to specialize in their various areas of Interest eg. Paediatrics, Surgery, Obstetric & Gynaecology, Internal Medicine etc.

 

(2)    Admission into the Residency Programme is guided by the set down rules and regulations which is in line with the extant Public Service Guideline as provided by the Federal Ministry of Health.  Consequently, the processes of admission into the programme and exit from the programme have been provided ab initio by the Federal Ministry of Health.

 

(3)    The recent exercise of disengaging Resident Doctors that have overstayed due to their inability to pass their fellowship Examination and also the Post Part II Residents who have passed their Part II and have remained in the Hospital for over 6 months emanated from the decision taken on the status report on Residency Training that was requested for by the Honourable Minister long before the Association of Resident Doctors strike action.  Submission of status report was not limited to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.

 

(4)    The approval to disengage these groups of Doctors was received from the Honourable Minister and the process for the recruitment of new Resident Doctors was activated months before the strike action, hence the recruitment exercise that was conducted recently.  The letters of approval from the Minister and the Residency Training appointment Templates are hereby attached for your perusal. (Appendices I & II).

 

(5)    It should also be noted that this disengagement exercise was long overdue in consideration of the warning letters that were earlier given to unsuccessful Resident Doctors based on the number of years they have spent in the programme. The post part II Residents have also stayed for over two years after completion of their programme.   Some of them who have applied to the Hospital are also being considered for employment and have been invited for interview.

 

(6)    This exit procedure is known to every Resident Doctor as it is incorporated in their letters of appointment.

 

 (7)   The Management wishes to state that the exercise is in strict compliance with the directives of the Honourable Minister of Health and it is not a punitive measure as has been insinuated by NMA.