The Association of Residents Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, on Thursday resumed an indefinite strike following the dismissal of 27 resident doctors by the management of the medical centre.
Briefing journalists in Owerri, the Imo state capital, the president of the association, Chidi Obiesi, described as unjust and inhuman, the alleged neglect of resident doctors in FMC by the clinic’s management. He also alleged that the processes that led to the sack of the doctors did not follow due process.
He said that the management of the health institution in April 2011 sacked 27 of their members over claims that the resident training programme of the affected doctors was long overdue.
The had earlier embarked a three day working strike, after much consultation and dialogue which yielded no result, to retract these sack letters and constitute a proper committee to look into the matter appropriately.
But according to Dr Obiesi, the management went ahead to issue a fresh sack letter to the doctors.
Dr Obiesi noted that the association has made a resolution that if the management does not retract the letters and constitute a proper committee which will include their members, they will remain on strike indefinitely.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Director Administration of the FMC, Mr Chimezie Nwogu, has denied the allegations levelled against the hospital’s management, stating the allegations lacked merit.
He noted that the doctors that were issued letters of dismissal after wide consultations and due process.
He stated that the six years resident training programme for these doctors have far expired because majority of them have exceeded their six years resident training programme and still haven’t passed the first stage examination programme which is a two part programme of three years each.
