Resident Doctors give FG 30-day ultimatum to recall dismissed members in JUTH

THE National Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD) has issued a 30 days ultimatum to Federal Government, to recall it members whose appointment were said to be unjustly terminated at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

NARD who threatened the government with an industrial action said failure to meet their demands will force them to embark on industrial action.

They also lamented that the JUTH Management has “been withholding dues deducted from members of the Congress of ARD JUTH since January 2018 which NEC condemns and strongly frowns at.”

In a statement jointly signed by its president, Dr Osinachukwu Nnadi, the Secretary-General, Dr Ugochukwu Chinaka, and the publicity and social secretary, Dr.Ugochukwu A Eze on Friday, noted that the Federal Ministry of Health released an extant circular on the duration of Residency Training Program (RTP) on 18th July 2014.

But according to them: “The Management of JUTH is yet to recognize the July 2014 extant circular on the duration of RTP and therefore not implementing same.

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“There is a court injunction restraining the JUTH Management from unjustly exiting Resident Doctors in August 2017, but the Management of JUTH has continued to exit Resident Doctors despite the recent court injunction,” the statement added.

They, however, resolved that “30-day ultimatum starting from Monday 2nd April 2018 be issued to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and Management of JUTH in order to do the following:

“Recall all Resident doctors in JUTH whose appointments have been unjustly terminated since July 2014.

“Pay all emoluments of the affected Doctors in full from the above-stated date.

“NARD demands that all Federal Teaching Institutions who are yet to begin implementation of the July 2014 circular – (FMC Umuahia, UBTH Benin, and UITH Ilorin) should as a matter of urgency commence same.

“FMOH is advised to dispatch the stated July 2014 extant circular to keep all Chief Medical Directors in proper perspective.

“NEC demands that Federal Government of Nigeria meets all outstanding agreement as contained in the 06/09/2017 Memorandum of Terms of Settlement (MOTOS) between Government, NARD and NMA.

“NEC unanimously requests the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to use his good office to graciously assent to the RTP Act in order to lay to rest all the contentious issues affecting Resident Doctors in Nigeria.

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They also demanded “That the Management of JUTH remit forthwith all monies belonging to ARD JUTH and NARD to their respective coffers.

The association, however, noted that in the event of Government’s failure to meet up with their demands, NARD might not be able to guaranty industrial harmony in her respective branches.