Ex-Health Minister Mamora Ask Resident Doctors to Embrace Dialogue
Former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Adeleke Mamora has appealed to the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors to engage in a dialogue to address their demands with the Federal Government.
The onetime former Minister of State of Health made the appeal on Tuesday at the 2023 annual general meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association, FCT chapter, with the theme ‘Impact of the economic crisis on healthcare system’.
NARD embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26, 2023, following the expiration of a two-week ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government.
According to Mamora, the present administration needs time to appraise doctors’ demands in order to chart the best way forward.
He said, “I appeal to our colleagues currently on strike. My appeal is for them to employ dialogue for the resolution of issues in dispute.
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“I am saying this because I was there before and some of my colleagues who were involved in negotiations know that one thing I will always say is that I will never succumb to pressure on something that I know will be impossible. I will just let you know that this is the true position. For example, when we started discussing hazard allowance, our projection, based on figures we had then was that we will need about N80bn, but we were told that what was available from the government to disburse for hazard allowance was N20bn; so, these are some of the challenges.
“So, I will always stick out my neck and say (to the doctors) that these are what the officials from the National Salaries Incomes And Wages Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Head of Service, the Ministry of Health and others are saying so that we will agree and I will tell them that this is the reality.
“So, if under pressure, we go ahead to agree on something that right from the word go, you will know that this is not possible, I will never do that. So, what happens now becomes a situation of carryover of trouble.”
Mamora urged the resident doctors to employ dialogue with the government regarding their demands.
“I will rather we look at a realistic and holistic approach to issues. So, I am appealing to our colleagues who are presently on strike to calm down and look at what could be done in this circumstance. I do not have any doubt that the demands are legitimate, but things could be legitimate but not realistic so that we can sit together and chart the way forward. I believe this is important to achieve what we have set to achieve as a goal,” he added.
