National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has started a seven-day warning strike across all its centres nationwide.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has started a seven-day warning strike across all its centres nationwide.
The strike is to push for the release of its kidnapped member, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, who has been in captivity for over 8 months.
NARD President, Dr. Dele Abdullahi, who said this in a statement, noted that the strike will begin Monday, August 26, 2024, at 12 am.
Abdullahi disclosed that the decision was made during the virtual Emergency National Executive Council meeting held on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
He said the warning strike would last one week and be total, as there would be no emergency care.
Dr Ganiyat Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was abducted nearly 8 months ago, along with her husband and nephew.
While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
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Anambra doctors begin indefinite strike over colleague’s kidnap
Weeks ago, Members of NARD had protested in all tertiary hospitals across the nation, to demand the immediate release of Dr. Popoola.
The action by NARD comes on the heels of similar declaration by medical doctors in Anambra Sate. Anambra State Branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Thursday, August 22 directed its members to withdraw their services in all private and public hospitals in the state with immediate effect.
The directive by the doctors followed the kidnap of their colleague, Stephen Ezeh, who was abducted on August 15 and has remained in captivity
The directive was made known in a statement signed by Dr Princeston Okam and Dr Ifeanyi Obiaeli, Chairman and Secretary, respectively, at the end of its emergency general on Thursday.
The doctors had on August 19 threatened to shut down operations across the state if Ezeh was not freed from captivity after 48 hours.
The association expressed dismay that 48 hours after the ultimatum and the appeal to the state government had elapsed, Ezeh was still languishing in the hands of his abductors in spite of his health challenges.
The statement read in part, “NMA Anambra branch hereby directs all doctors in the state to forthwith withdraw clinical services in all federal, state, private, mission, institutional and corporate hospitals in the state until our member is released.
“That NMA Anambra will painstakingly monitor compliance with the above directive through her ‘Strike monitoring team’ and that defaulting hospitals and members will be blacklisted and penalised in line with congress resolutions.
“That Anambra State government should activate all necessary security agencies and instruments at its disposal to ensure ‘timely and unconditional’ release of our abducted member.
“NMA Anambra State is not oblivious to the hardship this withdrawal of services will cause the good people of Anambra. However, we appeal to the State government to expedite action towards securing the release of our colleague so as to restore normalcy to the health system.
“NMA Anambra leadership will continue to brainstorm and work together with all relevant government agencies to collectively achieve a healthy and secured populace.”
