- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Association of Residents Doctor has maintained their stand on strike action over unpaid entitlement.
Speaking on Channels TV Politics Today Programme on Wednesday, the association’s President, George Ebong, narrated the doctors ordeal which he claimed had persisted for over five years.
Ebong, who confirmed the commencement of the strike today, disclosed how some doctors have been working for free without getting paid for the past six months.
He also highlighted some other challenges facing the doctors which include inadequate facilities, heavy workload due to shortage of personnel, and poor renumeration amongst others he described as ‘chronic treatment’.
Several attempts in getting government’s intervention have, according to Ebong, proven futile as the government remained u yielding to the plight of the doctors.
”It is embarrassing that we keep talking about the same thing over and over again. Some of these our demands have lingered for four years, five years. We have some doctors that have not been paid six months salary and they worked free and are still working.
“We’ve got some hospitals that are not in decent environment. We have severe shortage of man power. We have a doctor doing the job of five doctors. And we have some hospitals without equipment needed to dot eh job you should do.
“Then we have some demands as well like doctors who are being owed their medical training fund. This is a national act. This money is meant for them to go for their exams. It’s not being paid from last year and this is another year.
“Each time we talk about these things, it’s the same thing. ‘we are looking into it. We are trying to fix it’. Nothing has been done”. Ebong said.
The ARD President also disclosed that FCTdoctors have not been paid hazard allowance since 2021 while others are being paid.