The National Association of Resident Doctors of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex Chapter, have condemned what they called negligence of the health sector by the Federal Government.
Members of the union also alleged that there is ‘apparent insincerity’ demonstrated by the Federal Government on the health sector.
The President of the association, Dr Taofeek Akinniyi, who led other resident doctors on a peaceful protest within the OAUTHC premises, expressed the union’s displeasure while addressing reporters at a press conference held in Ile-Ife,Osun State on Thursday.
He said the government had demonstrated their insincerity in solving the perennial challenges that have bedeviled the health sector in Nigeria.
Dr Akinniyi disclosed that medical tourism had been the norm among those in the corridor of power, insisting that they embark on medical trip abroad absolutely on the perceived decadence in the health sector.
He lamented that the common Nigerian who can not afford flight ticket let alone of the cost of consultation or treatment outside Nigeria were the worst hit, as a result of the neglect.
“This attitude has also gone a long way to depleting our national reserve at a time our dear country is grappling with acute shortage of foreign exchange”.
According to him, “Nigeria has the manpower but the deplorable state of the sector is discouraging and this is reflected in recent rate at which resident doctors leave the country for better working conditions”.
“More often than not, most of these issues have lingered for long. While the association has consistently engaged the appropriate authorities day in day out, the government has continued to shy away from her industrial responsibility in proffering a lasting solution to all demands so that peace and nothing but peace can reign in the polity,” Dr Akinniyi stated.
The OAUTHC resident doctors demanded the implementation of National Health Act which was signed into law in 2014.
They urged the Federal Government to revamp the decay of infrastructures and facilities in the teaching hospital and all public health sector in Nigeria.
Dr Akinniyi condemned in totality the unjust and selective implementation of the no-work-no-pay decision of the government, claiming that while resident doctors in teaching hospital were being victimised, other health workers in the same institution were exempted.
He emphasised on the proper integration of residents to Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPS), so as to reduce the trend of corruption in the sector.
He explained that the last time the IPPS was implemented in 2013 ,the system experienced mass employment of residents.