BREAKING: Buhari govt orders hospital to replace striking doctors with NYSC members

President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal government has directed for immediate replacement of striking Doctors with National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. 

The Federal Government has ordered tertiary hospitals to engage the services of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to maintain routine services in place of striking resident doctors across the nation, OnyxNews Nigeria reports.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire explained that this a measure to “mitigate the effect” of the strike by resident doctors in Nigeria.

OnyxNews Nigeria had earlier reported that the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on nationwide strike on Monday over non-payment of their coronavirus hazard allowance and other needs.

In an offer to address the absence of resident doctors as a result of the industrial action, Ehanire gave Federal Health institutions four guidelines to comply with.

The minister said: “COVID-19 treatment outlets should continue to function as before; emergency services should continue to run as before; routine services should be maintained with consultants, NYSC Doctors; locum staffers to be brought in when and where necessary to forestall services disruption when applicable and affordable,” he said.

“I call on the NARD to return to work and engage the Federal Government in completing the ongoing due process of implementing the MoU between NARD and government.

“I wish to assure the general public that measures have been put in place to ensure that they continue to access services at all our federal tertiary hospitals across the country,” Ehanire said.