Rivers Govt Threatens To Sack Resident Doctors On Strike

Resident doctors on strike in Rivers State risk being sacked by the state government.

Glamtush reports that the Rivers State Government has directed resident doctors at the State University Teaching Hospital to call off their ongoing strike within 24 hours from Tuesday, “or forfeit their salary and risk been sacked”.

A statement by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, issued on Tuesday, said while the doctors have the right to go on strike, the Rivers State Government expects that such action “should be restricted to Resident Doctors that are directly under the payroll of the Federal Government, particularly as the Rivers State Government does not owe salaries or benefits to resident doctors in the state”.

The Association of Resident Doctors at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital after its congress on Monday directed its members to join the nationwide strike.

The leadership of the Association in a nine-point communique accused the Rivers State Government of failing to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act 2017 and pay COVID-19 inducement hazard allowance to its members.

They also accused the government of refusing to promote doctors at the hospital for a minimum of eight years.

The communique, however, appreciated the Rivers State Government’s effort in developing infrastructure in the health sector.