TheCable

Olorunmimbe Mamora, the minister of state for health, has asked house officers undergoing training not to join the strike action of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The minister gave the directive during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Commenting on the indefinite strike which kicked off on Monday, Mamora said: “House officers are undergoing training; they are not full fledged doctors. They are not and should not go on strike.”

The minister said house officers work across general surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, general medicine and medical specialties.

Tajudeen Sanusi, the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), had earlier issued a statement warning the house officers against joining the strike.

Speaking in the same vein, Adebimpe Adebiyi, the director of hospital services, federal ministry of health, said house officers were not meant to be out of duty during their 12 months of housemanship.

She appealed to them not to miss out on any of their practice days.

“MCDN did not threaten the house officers in any way. House officers are in their practical year; it is a year of study and it is for twelve months,” she said.

“Some of them had issues with non-payment because of wrong details which were submitted.”