NARD Strike: Stakeholders List Losses

Ahead the planned
National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD), nationwide strike action billed for May 9, stakeholders in the medical health sector have expressed fears on the foreseen dangers it would impact on the nation and its citizenry.
They said should the strike commence, it would not only clamp down the entire operations of the nation’s health sector but affect the already downturn in the economy.
Speaking to The Tide, in Port Harcourt, Monday, Lagos –based medical practitioner and paediatrician, Dr Mensan Igoni, said the strike action would contribute to the high mortality rate of the country stating that such condition would not place the nation in a medically fit condition among the comity of nations.
Igoni said, “we already have a high mortality rate statistics in almost all spheres of the medical sector due largely to negligence of the sector by the government.  There has always been strike actions but it has never helped us.  As life savers, we don’t always feel good when such situations arise because we value the lives of people. Let the government cut down on the rate of mortality by coming to truce with the association for the sake of the lives of the people”.
On his part, the founder, Good Life foundation (a Non-Governmental Organisation), Dr Blessing Uduak Emem, said, “ strike action by medical doctors should be the last thing to be talked about at this time in this country. Now that there are issues of Fulani Herdsmen and cult clashes across the country, we should not imagine doctors strike because the hospitals remain the first point of contact by casualties and when doctors are not there, you can imagine the situation”.
According to a lecturer at the Rivers State College of Health Technology, “this is a time when all countries are aiming at soaring high in their various sectors including the health sector and Nigeria is talking about strike.  The government, if not for any other reason should consider the ordinary citizens and nib the situation in the bud.  When the health sector is in crisis, it affects everybody.  The health of the people matters and it should not be down played for whatever reason.
The lecturer who maintained that the doctors were not demanding selfishly said that their demands were to meet with health challenges of the nation as well as aiding them in the course of the healthcare deliveries”.

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