Sen. Adeleke Mamora, the immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, has called for a reasonable dialogue between the Federal Government and the striking doctors belonging to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

Mamora, also a former Minister of State for Health, made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA-FCT).

He enjoined all parties in the dispute to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving the impasse.

“For me, I will never succumb to pressure for something I know will not be possible, what is happening now is a situation of carryover.

“We must look at a holistic approach to the issues, so I appeal to our colleagues to dialogue,” he stressed.

Also, Sen. Tony Nwoye, Anambra North Senatorial District (Labour Party), stated that there was the need to protect the image of the medical profession.

Nwoye who said that the medical profession was more like a sacrifice, noted that medical doctors put a lot of hours to work and that they need to get their reward on earth and not in heaven.

According to him, “it is a terrible thing that most Nigerian doctors are now migrating as a result of the situation of their work in Nigeria, and poor working environment.”

He said few days ago, he wanted to access a medical facility in his home state, and that every hospital he visited in Anambra state, none has a functional “Electrocardiogram” (EGC).

He said that such a situations in Nigerian hospitals are not the same with that of the ones abroad, stressing that this called for a concern from Nigeria’s leaders.

Nwoye, however, pledged to see a different situation with the coming in of the 10th National Assembly, adding that there was the need to find a lasting solution to the tussle between the NARD, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Federal Government.

Photograph of members of the audience
Former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on health services, Yusuf-Tanko Sununu, urged doctors to also involve themselves in politics.

According to him, a doctor without political awareness, or without any role in politics is doomed.

He said that doctors are critical to political decisions, and that medical politics was important in this present situation of the country, saying that everybody must be involved.

Sununu called on doctors to be emphathetic with their work, stressing that they must put themselves in the condition of the patients they are taking care of.

“A doctor must have the ability to listen attentively, have wisdom to interprete things the way they are, and must have the knowledge of patients and drugs.

“A doctor must have a good communication skills for him to be able to play a role in politics, whenever we refuse to participate in politics it will affect us, we have a role to play in politics,” he stressed.

Dr Ibrahim Wada, the Chairman of the occasion and founder of Nisa Medical Group, Abuja, urged all doctors who are willing to Japa (migrate) to other countries to think twice before they go.

He, however, assured doctors that the health sector would be better if government gives serious attention to the sector.

Earlier, Dr Charles Ugwuanyi, Chairman, NMA-FCT, noted that government had in many ways contributed to the emigration of health workers, but called for a change in the situation.

He expressed the hope that after the AGM, with the contribution of various speakers, the Federal Government would see reasons to accede to the demands of the doctors to quickly end the ongoing strike.

He said with the response of the Federal Government, public confidence would be restored in government hospitals and reduce the human capital flight out of a struggling health space.

“The truth is, doctors and all health care professionals deserve a lot more than what they are asking for, should the government decide to get it right this time,” he said.