The Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FCM), Jabi, Abuja, has suspended the ongoing strike at the hospital.
Dr Adejo Arome, the President of the association, at an emergency congress meeting on Wednesday, said the management of the hospital had shown enough commitment that necessitated the suspension of the strike.
He lauded the support and commitment of members for the duration of the strike, and also commended the hospital’s medical director for his understanding and unwavering commitment to end the strike.
He, however, called on the management of the hospital to immediately absorb locum doctors into the hospital, adding that their appointment should be regularised as soon as possible.
While declaring that the association would write the management of the hospital and its board to this effect, he said not absorbing locum doctors should, henceforth, not be allowed in the health sector.
According to him, locum staff, otherwise known as contract staff, should be fully engaged and assured of their job.
“When you are not at peace, you cannot work well. They should be enrolled on the IPPIS and made to get what their colleagues of the same cadre are getting,” he stated
He, however, warned that any form of intimidation on any member, including locum staff, corps members and others, would be resisted.
Arome reiterated the call for the transfer of Mr Bako Achi, one of the accountants in the hospital, to another department to forestall further showdown.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the association alleged that Achi had become a clog in the wheel of their progress.
According to him, the whereabouts of the shortfall of salary arrears should be investigated as the money was not disbursed in spite of it being paid into the hospital’s account in December 2019.
However, in his response, Achi said as a civil servant, he was not obliged to speak to the press as a rule.
“I am not obliged to speak. I am not the spokesperson of the hospital, we have human resources unit,” Achi said.
NAN also recalls that the resident doctors had on Monday embarked on a three-day warning strike as a result of nonpayment of shortfall arrears sent to the hospital in December.
