By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has urged resident doctors to call off their strike in the interest of patients that needed care at this critical time.
Ehanire made the call at a media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja to commemorate World Health Day, celebrated every year on April 7, sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Vanguard reports.
Naturenews reports that the aggrieved doctors’ agitations include the non-payment of salaries of three to five months of some house officers and non-recruitment of house officers.
Others are abolishment of the bench fees for doctors undergoing training in other hospitals, non-payment of National Minimum Wage and hazard allowances.
“Mindful of the huge Human Resource for Health challenges and hard work to build them and expand it, we encourage setting up more of training institutions for health workers,” he said.
According to him, 2021 is the international year for Health and care workers, in recognition of selfless roles they played and continue to play, to support our health system.
“In appreciation, we prioritised health workers for ongoing COVID-19 vaccination. We remain committed to the welfare of our health workers,” he said.
In her message, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said the COVID-19 pandemic had shone a light on inequalities between countries. Moeti, represented by WHO Nigeria Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi, said African countries had been pushed to the back of the queue for equipment amid shortages of essential supplies to fight COVID-19.
“African countries have been pushed to the back of the queue in accessing COVID-19 test kits, personal protective equipment and now vaccines. “Of 548 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered worldwide, only 11 million or two per cent have been in Africa, whereas the continent accounts for around 17 per cent of the global population. ‘’