The National Association of Resident Doctors has warned of an impending strike by its members nationwide over the poor funding of their residency training by the Federal Government.

 

Already, the 21-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government by NARD will expire on June 18, 2003.

 

NARD National President, Dr. Ismail Lawal, at a news conference at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, on Thursday, warned that the resident doctors across the country might embark on strike any moment after the 21-day ultimatum expires.

 

Lawal expressed dismay at the inadequate funding of the Residency Training Programme in the 2013 budget.

 

He warned that the residency training of NARD members across the country could be jeopardised with the attendant setbacks in skills development in neurosurgery, pathology, gynaecoloy, among others due to inadequate funding by the Federal Government.

 

NARD said the meagre fund allocated to the RTP in the 2013 Appropriation Bill was grossly inadequate and would cripple the scheme, adding that “update courses, exams and other course fees” for members were already not being fully settled promptly by the FG.

 

The NARD president stated that the development was exposing members’ career as well as specialised health care delivery service to Nigerians to a grave risk.

 

Citing the situation at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, as one of the glaring cases of underfunding of NARD’s knowledge upgrade, Lawal said the institution’s authorities made a budget proposal of N200m for the RTP for over 500 resident doctors at ABUTH but lamented that only N19m was approved by the government.

 

BY OLUSOLA FABIYI

Punch