Fisayo Akinduro, Osogbo

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The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, says its members will continue with its strike over government’s failure to yield to their demands.
President, Association of Resident Doctors, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTHC, Dr. Emmanuel Omoniyi who disclosed this said the only language the Nigerian government understands is strike.
Omoniyi stated that the government responds to strike because they know it will give them a bad image in the international community.
While speaking on the government’s outright disregard for the rights of medical personnel in Nigeria, he noted that although “it is difficult to hold a brief for the government, the people in government are not knowledgeable enough to know the importance of a good health system.”
Omoniyi who is also the Senior Registrar in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology said a lot of money could be saved from Medical tourism.
According to him, “there is no way to build a working health system without taking good care of the workers. It is not about the salary alone.
He further stated that even though the strike would affect patients’ care and service to humanity, a strike is inevitable when government remains insensitive to the plight of its health practitioners
It would be recalled that in 2019, Prof Jerome Elusiyan, a professor of Paediatrics and Child Health and Chairman, Medical Advisory Council of OAU Teaching Hospital was attacked and killed on his way to Benin in Edo State.
Doctor Omoniyi who was a colleague of the late professor stated that the death was as a result of the government’s failure to secure lives and property.
He bemoaned the deteriorating condition of the security situation in Nigeria and the lack of emergency facilities, stating that, more doctors have been kidnapped on that same road.
“Emergency care in Nigeria is not a good stall. Most tertiary centres have no functioning CT scan in their accident and emergency unit. No justice has been done and the security situation in the country is getting worse.
Omoniyi charged the government.