The President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Jibril Abdullahi, has dismissed calls by the House of Representatives for medical doctors to apologise for embarking on a 55-day strike.
The doctors had embarked on the strike on July 1, resuming duties on August 24 after the suspension of the strike by the Nigeria Medical Association.
The House of Representatives had asked the NMA to apologise to Nigerians for the effect the strike had on them. The House said the doctors’ action caused avoidable loss of lives.
The House Committee on Health, during a briefing at the National Assembly, had said the doctors’ decision to “stay away in the face of glaring health challenges was unpatriotic.”
However, the NARD President questioned the lawmakers for not demanding an apology from other bodies that had embarked on similar strikes, noting that the doctors had also been victims of the industrial action.
He said, “If we want to start talking of apology, are we going back to ask ASUU and others to apologise?
“The issue is this: As a doctor, I am not happy that we went on strike. A dear colleague of mine lost his life. I am not happy that we were on strike. As much as possible, we would love to avoid strikes.
“We want a situation whereby, when the government is notified, they don’t wait till it is two days to the strike before they call for a meeting. We notify them three, four or five weeks before a strike starts. So, whose fault is it?” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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